


A Supreme Gift on a Misty Day

by BlackWidette



Category: American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Apocalypse, American Horror Story: Coven
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cunnilingus, Descensum, Double Vaginal Penetration, F/F, Falling In Love, Feels, First Love, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Friendship/Love, Idiots in Love, Lesbian Crack, Lesbian Sex, Loss of Virginity, Love Confessions, Magic, Marathon Sex, Spoilers, Strap-Ons, The Supreme, Unrequited Love, Vaginal Fingering, Vignette, Witches, coven - Freeform, foxxay - Freeform, post torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-08-04 09:53:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 32,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16344566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackWidette/pseuds/BlackWidette
Summary: AHS Apocalypse SPOILERS!!!Episode 5 had all the feels, this is my take on what most definitely could have happened.Misty is brought back from Descensum and the two women finally have been given an opportunity to take a chance they should have taken years ago before they both lost so much.Whole bunch of feels in this and a whole bunch of detailed marathon sex too.I will ship these two to the end of the earth. Which is either fitting or extremely depressing with the season title. Or both. You choose.





	1. Can This Be Real?

**Author's Note:**

> APOCALYPSE SPOILERS!!! You've been warned!
> 
> So episode 5 had me writhing in foxxay-ship agony. So many eye gazing moments between Cordelia and Misty... I mean that gasp from our Supreme when Misty materialised and the amount of times Cordelia stroked Misty's hair and smiled like a doofus magoofus?!...
> 
> COME ON RYAN!
> 
> Urgh! The show has to be making them canon right, or it's just queer bait central all up in that underground fire-lit mansion...
> 
> Anyway, they didn't give it to me on screen, so my poor queer heart made it happen in my head and in writing (with all the subtext and vignette feels from the scenes where the writers totally missed an opportunity) and now you get to experience those idiots in love aswell.
> 
> Enjoy.
> 
> *I don't own these characters.

"Well that's that... C'est la vie." Madison snarked as Michael corporealised on the floor of the circular private library, returning from Descensum... alone.

"This was not a fair test." Ariel argued defensively as Michael sat up.

Cordelia's heart pounded so hard against her ribs in anxiety that she was sure it was audible to the warlocks and witches around her.

"What happened!?" She demanded of the boy as she looked down at him. "Where's Misty?"

Myrtle cut across Michael's response with her own dry commentary. Cordelia didn't want to hear it now, she couldn't. Knowing it had no effect on the outcome, she still was holding her breath, willing Misty to be saved. Her heart stilled and her stomach momentarily pitched with fear. No, none of that, she couldn't. No space for doubt, for any projections from Myrtle, for any demeaning jibes regardless of the validity, no space for any thought outside of hope and concern for her Misty.

"Isn't it obvious, dear? She's right where she's been for the last -" Myrtle didn't get the opportunity to finish as a hissing noise erupted around the room and ash appeared at their feet, swirling and gathering into a corporeal shape before settling into the form and features of Misty Day.

Cordelia let in a staggering gasp before dropping to her knees, her hands searching for proof that what her eyes were telling her could possibly be real.

"Misty."

Emotions welling in her chest, leaning over the body, holding the warm swamp witch's face in her hands and rubbing her cheeks; Cordelia repeated her name like a chant as she began to cry.

"Misty."

"My dearest Misty..."

Cordelia ignored the tears on her cheeks as Misty's eyes slowly opened and looked up at her drowsily.

Cordelia's heart clenched, fresh tears running from her eyes, she slid an arm under the back of Misty's neck and helped her to sit up. The orange glow from the fire place lit the younger woman's face held in her hands as their eyes met properly for the first time in far, far too long.  
Cordelia felt her heart wring with the enormity of this gift.  
Sobbing, Cordelia hugged herself to the younger witch, holding her head and stroking her hair.

Misty felt the warmth of Cordelia's embrace, it felt so real... She marvelled at the feel of Cordelia's hands on her back, her shoulder, her head, her hair. Pulling back quickly and looking at Cordelia's face to check it was still there, Misty smiled.  
Cordelia cradled Misty's face once more, also not wanting to lose this sight as she stroked her cheeks with her thumbs and brushed the hair from her face.

Misty continued to smile in awe and disbelief at Cordelia who was smiling, crying, real... sitting in front of her, her fingertips caressing her face, the most incredible sensation in the world. Was this truly real? After moments being lost in her emotions she became aware of other bodies in the room around them and looked up at the familiar faces of her sisters Queenie, Madison, Zoe and Myrtle standing above them before looking back at her beautiful supreme in wonder.

"Am I... Is this...?" Misty asked hesitantly, tapping Cordelia's shoulder, not quite allowing herself to believe that she was really and truly free of her Hell. There was no way she could be so fortunate as to be freed from her eternal suffering, be released to live again, and be brought back to be amongst the safety of her sisters... Could she...?

As if reading her mind Cordelia smiled with joy, her cheeks still damp with emotion as she nodded and whispered.

"Yes! You're back! You're safe!"

"Back from perdition." Myrtle murmured in shock.

Cordelia held onto Misty's face for a moment longer, smiling thickly through the tears still streaming from her eyes.

"Can you stand up for me?"

Misty nodded diligently.

"Okay, come here." Cordelia offered, helping them both to stand.

Misty adjusted to the sensations of being upright, of air flowing from her lungs with the movement, of blood rushing from her head to her legs, of gravity pulling on her bones, of awareness of the presences in the room, of being able to feel every inch of her body... of being alive...

"Okay. I'm okay."

Misty closed her eyes against Cordelia's hand on her cheek once more before she turned to her sisters and met Queenie's beautiful smiling face.

"Hey, girl. Hi. Hi. Hi." Queenie said in gentle excitement as Misty pulled her into a hug, feeling warm and welcome... and safe.

As she stood wrapping her arms around Queenie, Misty could feel herself relaxing into the idea that she was really, truly back and the anxiety, stress and torment her nervous system had known for so long was no longer needed. But as she turned from Queenie's arms to the men in the room and saw the man who saved her from damnation her body ran cold. She staggered backwards in fear as he closed his eyes and a wave of stench rolled across Misty just as Myrtle spoke in worry.

"Cordelia... "

Misty turned to see Cordelia bowing her head and wiping at blood trickling from her nose.

"Oh, my God." Cordelia whispered as she looked at her reddened fingers. Misty moved to her, placing a hand on her arm in support before having to quickly grab Cordelia from falling as she swayed and almost dropped.

"What's happening?" Queenie asked confused.

"What always happens when a new Supreme rises" Ariel answered seriously.

"The old one fades away." Finished Behold.

"We demand what's ours." Ariel threw into the air.

"You are a pathetic, pompous ass." Myrtle threw back at him from Cordelia's other side as she supported her too.

It was then that Michael spoke, interjecting the petty tit for tat with a disarming cogency and authority as he raised his chin.

"I did everything you asked. I descended into hell and I did what you couldn't. I brought her back. I passed the Seven Wonders."

Cordelia lifted her head and looked at him from between Myrtle and Misty as they held her up.

"Unless you want to add another one." Michael challenged

Cordelia was light headed and could sense the situation turning dangerous, she needed to allay the fears of the warlocks and sooth their egos quickly so she could leave to lay down before she passed out like she did on her last visit.

"No!... No." She said forcefully, shaking her head and feeling the blood pulling away inside her brain alarmingly fast. "There can be no doubt." She continued powerfully as rushing filled her ears and air refused to filter normally into her lungs. She leaned heavily on Misty as she felt her legs sag and darkness cloud around her vision, addressing Michael. "You are the next Supre-..."

Cordelia didn't get to finish as her body betrayed her, eyes rolling back into her head, she heard Misty let out a cry from far away before she was dragged into oblivion completely.

\--------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So thanks for sticking with it, this chapter was necessary for me to set their feelings up in anticipation for the next chapter. 
> 
> I tried to keep it as close to the episode as possible with my own added fluff feels. 
> 
> Next chapter they get pretty into each other. 
> 
> Totes let me know what you think hey.


	2. I've Missed You Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AHS Apocalypse SPOILERS!!!
> 
> Episode 5 had all the feels, this is my take on what most definitely could have happened.
> 
> Misty is brought back from Descensum and the two women finally have been given an opportunity to take a chance they should have taken years ago before they both lost so much.
> 
> Whole bunch of feels in this and a whole bunch of detailed marathon sex too.
> 
> I will ship these two to the end of the earth. Which is either fitting or extremely depressing with the season title. Or both. You choose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what's coming...
> 
> Yup, a whole bunch of fluffy, marathon sex.

Conciousness began to return to Cordelia, muddled with far away cognitions of what had been, what was, and what she feared would soon be. She shifted her head and drowsily opened her eyes.

She was laying on the lounge in the now empty library, the fire warming and crackling happily from somewhere behind her head.

"Delia..." Myrtle came into her line of sight and crouched in front of her, taking her hand and putting the back of her other on Cordelia's forehead. The concern unsuccesfully masked on her face spoke volumes.

"I am not yet ready to loose you, my dear child." The redhead said with a sigh.

Cordelia smiled foggily at her old friend, grateful to be so loved and held, intending to jest light heartedly in assurance but she was hushed by the eclectic dynamo.

"Rest my love, there will be time for such conversations later."

Cordelia acquiesced, quietly relieved for the permission not to return fully to conciousness and be pulled back to sleep, forgetting her throbbing head and weak, heavy limbs.

She simply reached with her free hand to lay it atop their clasped hands and squeezed gently, offering another soft smile before rolling her head away, letting her hands fall limp and her eyelids droop closed.

\--------------

Cordelia roused to the sound of a heavy door opening.

"Delia, sit up if you can." She heard Myrtle say gently, feeling a hand on her back helping her to lift up against the arm of the couch.

Once upright she looked across at the door and immediately a warmth bloomed within her chest and a smile spread across her face for the gypsy beauty approaching carefully with a cup and saucer.

Misty hesitated, looking at Myrtle, checking, before sitting on the couch against Cordelia's hip. "It's not Louisiana mud, but it'll have to do." She hushed jovially in her southern ring.

Cordelia's heart expanded. This magnificent creature not only alive and back with them but bringing her cups of tea as she woke, made Cordelia feel stirrings of a past she once agonized would never be allowed to flourish.

She looked up at Misty cheekily from under half lidded eyes and rose her eyebrows.

"What is it?"

Misty lifted the cup to Cordelia's mouth and persed her lips for a moment of feigned secrecy before replying with a small smile.

"Lipton's."

Cordelia laughed softly and allowed the cup to be brought to her lips, taking a sip and gingerly supporting Misty's hand with the cup, resting them against the warm porcelain. Gazing into the swamp witch's eyes, she lowered their hands with the cup and let her heart speak truly.

"I knew you for such a short time, and I've missed you forever."

Misty allowed her emotions to soar at the depth of Cordelia's words before her smile faltered and she shook her head sadly. "You should have left me where I was."

"What?" Cordelia asked stilled by the thoughts of what could make Misty wish that. "Why?"

"That man you sent to fetch me..." She took a deep breath, searching for the right words to describe the enormity of what she had experienced but only able to fall upon; "He gives me the heebie-jeebies..." Cordelia looked at her questioningly. "There is something wrong with him." Misty warned.

"What do you mean?" Myrtle asked.

Misty thought back to her hell.

The teacher who tormented her for so many revolutions standing in front of her gutted and whimpering as he held his abdomen together. Horror on her face, she watched the man struggle with all the emotions that come with that pain and the knowledge that you are about to die. She reached towards him hopelessly, trying to think of what to do or say to ease his death before the scalpel was removed from his back and he fell heavily into a puddle of his own blood and viscera. She looked up at the man standing above him who had so gruesomely done the deed, torn between terror and hope.

"Are you here to save me?" She whispered.

The children around her rolled their heads back in unison, the whites of their eyes now covering all of them as they opened their mouths to the ceiling and a heavy, muffled, backwards chatter filled the air.

Misty swallowed as she returned from her memories and looked at Cordelia.

"I couldn't understand what they were saying, but he listened while they talked their gibberish all around the classroom. I'm not educated, but I'm no fool. Evil was speaking to him."

"Maybe he had to negotiate your release from Hell?" Cordelia suggested uncinvincingly.

Misty nodded looking down in thought before looking up and answering. "Maybe. And you would know better than me, Miss Cordelia. But I've sensed evil ever since I was a child." Shaking her head and lost in memories. "I could smell the sweet rot of a decaying soul, but I've never smelled anything quite like him. I don't know how to describe it. To me... he wore the perfume of death."

"Delia, what have we done? We've anointed that boy the next Supreme." Myrtle whispered.

"He will never be the Supreme." Cordelia replied with conviction.

"Then why did you give him the test?" Myrtle asked.

"Because I needed to know how strong he was. I knew there was something dangerous about him, something dark. I wanted to keep him close so we would be ready. Something is coming." Looking between the two seriously. "I can feel it. Whatever it is, Michael Langdon has already given us an advantage. He's brought all my girls back to me, for the fight ahead." She finished, smiling at Misty, grateful for her in so many ways.

Misty's heart dropped, she was no fighter. Hell had taken so much from her.

"I can't fight... I've lost my footing, Miss Cordelia." Misty confessed as she started to cry. "I was in Hell for so long, I don't know...I don't know where I am anymore."

"You've done enough, Misty." Cordelia could see the battle raging behind Misty's eyes and lay a hand on her arm. "Yes, you have." she whispered, letting the truth of it hang in the air a moment. "You brought us the first proof." Tears welling in her own eyes, acknowledging that Misty was so lost. "Now you need to heal."

Misty smiled genuinely at Cordelia through her tears, her dimples prominent in the fire light causing Cordelia's heart to flutter wildly.

Cordelia slid her hand along Misty's arm to her hand and squeezed it.

"I missed you so much." She whispered earnestly to Misty, repeating her sentiment from earlier, her eyes cast down to her tea, full of so much emotion before lifting them to meet Misty's, ready to see what truth lay in them.

Misty let her warm smile spread further across her face and she squeezed Cordelia's hand in response.

They sat simply lost in each other smiles and happiness to be authentically in the other's presence again after so long.

Cordelia didn't miss Misty's eyes glaze over for a second and the smile dropped from her face before she looked down.

"Hey..." Cordelia delicately lifted Misty's chin with her finger and asked softly. "Talk to me."

"It was... I just... Hell was... It took a lot from me..."

Cordelia's heart clenched for this gentle woman's suffering as she watched her face flicker with emotions.

"I have thoughts now that I didn't have before, dark thoughts." Misty swallowed, looking ashamed before continuing. "The world is harsher and the colours have dulled. I thought at first maybe something had gone wrong with my eyes in the process of coming back. But I think I just see it all differently now.... And I am so frightened, I'm not meant for harshness Miss Cordelia. I am meant for healing and letting things grow, not this destruction. I don't know how I fit in, here, in this world. With these people. With warlocks. With our new sisters. With you." She said the last part coyly, worry creasing brow.

Myrtle rose from her chair suddenly, startling the women. "It seems by far appropriate my dears, as matriarchs, and after so many fowl centuries of battling and triumphing amidst great evils, that we may be allowed to look past our torment and enjoy ourselves and each other, however that is, we see fit... It is time for us to accept the rewards of our ardour!" She announced, gathering her skirt and heading to the door before turning with a flourish of her hand and bellowing into the room.

"Amusez -vous darlings!"

The two women stared at the door after Myrtle for a length, having been snapped out of the depth of their conversation by her unconventional character. Turning back to each other and ducking their heads, laughing softly at her eccentricity and sharing shy glances as they giggled.

They sobered quietly lost in their own doubts, anxieties and hopes surrounding the feelings they had for the other, not unaware there was something between them and not unaware of Myrtle's disguised blessings.

Cordelia felt such undeniable love for this incredible woman in front of her and she knew what she wanted between them; soft touches, gentle stroking of hair, being held in each other's arms for hours, grazes of lips along the temple travelling to collarbones and earlobes on lazy Sunday afternoons spent lounging in the mottled sun beneath the trees of Miss Robichaux's garden. Cordelia wanted to belong to Misty, to be so blessed to count herself the most cherished of Misty Day's few possessions. That is what she wanted more than anything else and she'd wanted it for so long.

Misty was looking past Cordelia, gazing into the fireplace lost in thought. Warm light bounced gently against her beautiful features and Cordelia found herself studying the history of emotions still living in the younger woman's face like a memoir. Such luminous positivity, happiness and love for the earth and all that grows innocently within it, conflicted and marred by the pain, hatred and torment that both humans and demons had dared to violate her purity with. There was such sadness and trauma lying beneath the surface of her furrowed brow, but also a strength and great light that Cordelia wanted to wrap her arms around and care for, heal and help blossom Misty back into the mother of nature she was.

Cordelia's thoughts stumbled and scattered as she realised, with a knot in her stomach, that her time with this woman was limited... Torn between honesty but hurting Misty with the truth of it and remaining silent to protect her from the reality but causing great suffering if Misty opened her heart to her. Cordelia made a choice and placed the cup and saucer on the floor before reaching for the younger witch's hands.

"Misty... I believe we will win this fight. But I am not sure how it's going to be won. You need to remember that if the next Supreme is called... I will die."

Misty's eyes snapped up to Cordelia's, tears welling in heartache at the thought of losing her again. She opened her mouth to defy it but Cordelia continued.

"I can feel that another Supreme is rising, I am growing weak and my body has begun to show signs of shutting down. I am dying, I've known it for a while, but it's what must be for our kind to continue. It's the way it is, it's the way it's always been. Even with all my power, I am not exempt from death."

Misty studied her face for a long moment, understanding what Cordelia was trying to ask of her; to be sure. She looked away into the fire again, chewing on her lip, knowing what she wanted and knowing there will always be heart ache, whether it's in two years, ten or fifty. Eventually she spoke her thoughts towards the fire place.

"I lost so much in that place... Time bein' one of them and opportunities bein' another. You may not be exempt from death Miss Cordelia, but nothin' livin' on this earth is and it never stops the trees from growin', the birds from nestin', or the 'gators rollin' in mud. I don't want to miss out on livin' anymore... I lost you too, in that place and now I have you back, I want the colour to return to my world."

Misty turned her head from the fire to resolutely look Cordelia in the eyes, searching for recognition and understanding.

Cordelia knew then that it was time. They had waited and succumbed to their doubts long enough. Summoning her magic, she cast a silencing and deterant ward on the room and brought both hands to Misty's cheeks, trying to convey through her eyes everything she felt before looking down at the younger woman's lips and tracing a thumb over them. Eyes flicking back up to Misty's she saw her pupils darken and the swamp witch licked her lips. Taking that as a sign, Cordelia brought her own lips to hover over Misty's in a silent question. Misty answered by grazing her lips softly against Cordelia's, both women letting out shaky breaths at the intimacy with the other that they'd both been craving for so long.

Misty pulled away briefly to look Cordelia in the eyes with a dazzling, dimpled smile before crushing her lips into the older woman's. Running her tongue along Misty's lower lip and causing her to gasp at the sensation, Cordelia slipped into her mouth to caress her tongue with her own.

Misty whimpered and moved her tongue in time with Cordelia's, both pushing past the point of comfort from lack of breath until Misty pulled away breathing shakily, chest rising heavily and looking at Cordelia. She brought a hand to her mouth and gently touched her tingling lips. Cordelia was perplexed by her action until a thought occurred to her and whispering, she asked:

“Misty, was that your first kiss?"

Fingers still on lips, Misty shallowly nodded her head once as an adorable blush crept over her cheeks.

Cordelia took a moment to process all that meant to them both. Misty was young when they first met and years had passed while Misty had been in Hell.

"I don't want to take advantage of you Misty... You've just come back from too-long in damnation and I don't want you to jump into this only because you want to feel alive, we could both be hurt. Please make no mistake, I want this, very much, but I want you to want it completely aswell."

Misty's eyes glossed over as emotion lay wet on their surface.

"Miss Cordelia, I've wanted this for so long. You are the only person that truly makes me feel safe. The only person that makes my body feel this way. My heart is yours, it always has been. I trust you with it, you could never hurt me."

Cordelia's own heart melted and she smiled earnestly at Misty and brought their lips together again passionately. As they kissed, Cordelia put her hands in Misty's hair and the response was an immediate whimper from the younger woman.

Misty put her hands on Cordelia's waste and ran her hands over the silken fabric of her blouse to graze the underside of her breasts. Cordelia gasped into Misty's mouth, quietly deciding it was the right decision to wear her blouse braless as Misty continued to cup her breasts and run her thumbs over Cordelia's nipples through the fabric.

Still perched on the edge of the couch, Misty then dropped one hand to wrap around Cordelia's wrist and brought it down from her hair to the hem of her dress, widening her feet on the wooden floors, before pulling their hands underneath.

Cordelia hadn't expected to have sex with Misty tonight, not for their first romantic experience and especially so soon after Misty's return from her personal purgatory and so she stilled her arm against Misty's guiding hand. The way things were going, it seemed Misty intended to, but the doubts in Cordelia made her want to check Misty was in the right headspace for consent as the younger woman stopped massaging Cordelia's breast and looked up questioningly.

"Misty, are you sure you want to do this now? We'll be safe and uninterupted, and I very much want to, but there is no pressure tonight. Or any night. You've not been back for longer than two hours..." Cordelia said, repeating her worries from earlier, terrified Misty would do anything she'd regret later. As if reading her mind, Misty replied immediately.

“I want this. It's time Miss. I've waited so long. There could never be regret with you... Please... Please touch me."

Cordelia shivered at the honesty and lust in the request and allowed her hand to be guided to touch Misty over her underwear. Both women gasped at the connection, Misty for the sensation to her most intimate area and Cordelia for the dampness she discovered there. As Cordelia delicately stroked Misty through the soaked material, her own body reacted sympathetically as she felt lubricant flow warmly from herself.

Cordelia was lost in watching Misty's face as she ran her fingers up and down the other woman's folds through the damp fabric. Misty whimpered as her eyes fluttered closed and she let out a rush of air before shakily taking in another breath. They had barely started exploring each other and yet they were both so wet. Cordelia had never experienced being this aroused before but she now knew that this was what it was always supposed to be like for her.

Cordelia began getting frustrated that she couldn't journey with her fingers the way she wanted to while still propped up against the couch arm and Misty sat sideways on the edge of it, she could tell the younger woman was wanted more too.

"Please Miss Cordelia."

"Misty." Cordelia said slyly. "We have too many clothes on."

Standing up immediately, knocking Cordelia's hand as she did and draping her shawl over the back of the lounge, Misty unbuckled her belt, letting it fall with a thud, reached down and lifted the hem of her dress up and over her head in one swift jangly movement as her bracelets rattled, and dropped it on the ground.

Cordelia was stunned by Misty's sudden exposed flesh. Standing in black underwear, bra, boots and her plaited crystal necklaces hanging on her chest in front of her, the orange firelight casting a delicious flickering glow on her skin, Cordelia liked her suddenly dry lips. Misty looked down at Cordelia, waiting for movement.

"Are you joining me, Miss?" Misty giggled, enjoying the way Cordelia's eyes had darkened and were raking her body with want.

Cordelia couldn't respond, she merely swung her legs off the couch and reached for the younger woman, pulling her to stand against the couch between her legs as her hands ran over her hips and thighs while she placed soft kisses on the skin of Misty's stomach.

Misty whimpered and brought her hands to tangle in Cordelia's hair, looking down at the woman assaulting her belly button with her tongue and feeling a flow of liquid rush from her and contribute to the wetness of her underwear.

As Misty shivered and giggled at the ticklish spot, Cordelia smiled against her skin, resting her chin on the woman's stomach and looking up at Misty between her black fabric-cupped breasts and sighed, smiling happily.

"Could you be any more beautiful?" Cordelia husked.

Misty looked down at Cordelia, her heart floating, amazed at how lucky she was to be standing in the arms of this woman like she was after being trapped in Hell for so long not two hours earlier.

"Only when I'm with you, Miss Cordelia."

Cordelia's heart danced with the sentiment and she stood up, kissing Misty with all the adoration she could convey before breaking the kiss and placing kisses all over Misty's face, finishing her administration by swiping a thumb against the woman's bruised lips and biting her own lip as she looked at Misty's aroused features. Cordelia then abruptly turned her back to Misty and motioned to the zip on her blouse.

"Can you please unzip me."

Fingers shaking in anticipation, Misty took the zip at the nape of Cordelia's neck and pulled it slowly down the patterned brown and green fabric, soaking in delight as more and more of Cordelia's skin became exposed.

Once the blouse had been zipped open to it's extent, Misty pushed the fabric aside and let her fingers delicately play along Cordelia's braless back, causing the older woman to shiver. Misty then brought her lips to Cordelia's skin and dragged them across it as she pulled the blouse out of her wasteband, only stopping her mouthing caresses momentarily to lift the fabric over her Supreme's head, allowing Cordelia to remove it completely and drop it to the floor.

Bringing her mouth back to Cordelia's naked shoulder and her hands to her waste, Misty stroked the skin there and found the side zip to Cordelia's trousers, pulling it down and letting the material ripple to the floor around her ankles.

Cordelia stepped out of her heals and trousers and kicked them aside, letting her head fall back as Misty suckled on the skin of her shoulder next to her neck, bringing one hand up behind her head to tangle in Misty's hair and the other to rest atop Misty's hand as it traced the edges of her beige lace thong.

Cordelia turned her head towards Misty's and used the hand in the younger woman's hair to encourage her mouth from it's ministrations to focus on her lips instead.

As they kissed, Misty brought her body flush with Cordelia's and the feeling of Misty's all but naked body pressed warmly up against her own behind her was so overwhelming that Cordelia moved the hand that wasn't lost in the younger witch's hair to grip her hip behind her for support as she felt her body wanting to melt into a puddle of this feeling on the floor, with Misty, amongst their discarded clothes.

Misty brought her hands around the front of them both to softly cup Cordelia's breasts again, massaging them and running her fingers over her nipples, feeling them tighten in arousal. The sensations of the cold metal bands of Misty's rings catching her nipples, sent shots of electricity through Cordelia and she arched into the touch.

As Cordelia's spine curved, her bottom gently pushed into Misty's groin and Misty felt her hips roll into Cordelia. Both women moaned into each other's mouths, Cordelia moving her hand further around from Misty's hip and as she settled on a cheek and squeezed, Misty's hips bucked involuntarily forward into Cordelia, almost unbalancing them both.

They broke the kiss, both breathing hard and Cordelia removed her hand from Misty's hair to match her other on Misty's other ass cheek behind them. Misty's hips bucked forward again and she nipped at Cordelia's shoulder, sliding her hands from Cordelia's breasts down her stomach, intending to slip beneath the fabric of her thong, but on her journey down her left hand met course skin and as she slowed her movement she felt cracked wound and scab on Cordelia's stomach.

Frowning and ignoring Cordelia's hesitant whisper of her name, she turned Cordelia in her arms to look down at the wound on her stomach and gasped.

"Miss Cordelia! Are you okay? What happened?!"

Cordelia cupped Misty's face with a sigh as she smiled warmly, emotions blossoming in her chest at the look of worry and sadness in Misty's eyes.

"I am okay right now Misty. I promise. This is part of being the Supreme. But it's not going to affect us tonight."

"This is a side effect of bein' the Supreme?"

"Of the beginning of the end of my time; yes."

On seeing the horror flash across Misty's face; Cordelia brushed one of the feathers in her hair from the younger witch's shoulders and clarified. "The Supreme starts deteriorating as soon as they claim the mantle, this is not abnormal for several years into my reign. My mother was noticeably breaking down for 20 years before she died and another Supreme may not rise for some time."

Stroking the hair from Misty's face, she affirmed.

"We've got time Misty."

Misty searched Cordelia's eyes for falsehoods and relieved to see none, crashed their lips together passionately before pulling back and speaking her truth.

"I love you Miss Cordelia."

Cordelia's heart expanded and fluttered around her chest as Misty said those words.

"I love you Misty. For so long... I've loved you from the first moment I touched your hand in blindness and saw... all of you."

Misty crushed her lips to Cordelia's again before pulling back, smiling at each other like the idiots in love that they were.

"You're still wearing too much." Cordelia said deftly with a devilish smile.

Misty smirked and toed off her boots, kicking them away, while still in Cordelia's arms. Cordelia smirked back and ran her hands down over Misty's shoulders, tracing the straps of her bra, continuing the caress over her cleavage, over the cup of the bra, to run either side along the skin just below the underwire.

As Cordelia's fingers continued around the back of the bra, Misty took the opportunity to finally appreciate Cordelia's breasts with her eyes. She licked her lips and as Cordelia unclasped her bra and pulled the straps forward off the younger woman's shoulders, Misty leant forward, letting the bra fall down her arms and flicking it aside, as she ducked her head to Cordelia's breast and ran her tongue along the flesh and over a nipple.

Cordelia shuddered and took a long shaky gasp at the delicious rasp of Misty's tongue.

As Misty flicked her tongue over Cordelia's nipple and sucked it into her mouth, Cordelia felt her legs shake in arousal.

“Oh my god." she whispered, throwing her head back as her eyes rolled back in pleasure and she clutched at Misty for support.

Cordelia held Misty's waste tightly with one hand as the assault on her nipple continued and she ran her other down Misty's stomach to the hem of her underwear, tickling her fingers across the sensitive skin there, feeling it jump and shiver at her touch. Misty moaned at the sensation, the vibrations of her mouth on Cordelia causing the other woman to moan aswell.

Cordelia dipped her hand below the top of Misty's underwear and into thick curls. Scratching her way down across the hair follicles, Cordelia met Misty's hardened clit and ran a single circle around it.

It was Misty's turn to shudder and legs to wobble and she stilled her tongue while Cordelia continued circles over her clit and had Misty leaning into and gasping for breath against Cordelia's chest. Misty's legs were slowly sinking her millimetre by millimetre closer to the floor and just when she thought she was about to drop, Cordelia moved her hand lower and stroked at her folds through her wetness inducing a loud sob.

Misty now clung to Cordelia, arms around her shoulders and head buried in her neck as the Supreme gently pushed a finger inside of Misty and curled it inwards eliciting a sharp shuddering breathy whine. Cordelia slid her finger out slightly before slowly pushing back in and curling her finger in repetition, revelling as Misty gasped and whined again. Wanting more, Misty lifted her leg next to Cordelia's free hand up against her hip and Cordelia grabbed underneath Misty's thigh, pulling her hips more flush against her own in support and adding a second finger to Misty's now more accessible entrance causing the woman to moan.

Cordelia picked up the pace using her palm to press into Misty's clit, drawing a cyclical mewling from Misty as her hips jumped forwards and began rolling in time against Cordelia's and the hand sandwiched between them.

As Misty softly bit down on Cordelia's shoulder through her ecstacy, Cordelia felt the desire to have her own mouth on something and turned her head towards Misty's, nosing through her beautiful curly hair and wild bird feathers to find an earlobe which she nibbled and sucked.

Cordelia briefly had an image of what they looked like flash across her thoughts, standing like this, in their underwear, firelight dancing orange across their skin, Misty's leg wrapped around Cordelia's hip, arms wrapped around her shoulders, mouth latched onto her shoulder, hips rolling as Cordelia moved her hand between them inside Misty's black panties, fingering her deeply while tonguing her ear.

Cordelia groaned at the beauty and sheer eroticism of the vision and sucked harder on Misty's ear, feeling the woman's body begin jerking against her, her soft walls clenching around her fingers and knew Misty was going to orgasm. Both panting heavily against the other's flesh in their mouth through exertion, Misty started to cry out.

"Oooooh. Oooh god, oh Miss... Oooooooh... Oh Miss, oh Miss, oh yes! Oh God! Oh yes!"

Cordelia, twisted her hand in a painful but satisfying way to rub fast haphazard circles around Misty's clit with her thumb as she continued curling her fingers within Misty until she shuddered and stilled.

Letting out a long loud keen into Cordelia's shoulder, Misty dug her fingers into Cordelia's back, her walls slamming shut around Cordelia's fingers, drawing them up into her as her muscles strained until her body spasmed against Cordelia's as she hit her climax.

Fully aware Misty was having a breathtakingly intense orgasm and her weight was about to drop as she turned to jelly, Cordelia prepared herself and as she felt Misty's muscles begin to droop, she transmuted them both onto the couch; Cordelia on her back and Misty on top of her, leg still wrapped over hip, mouth still latched to shoulder, tongue still sucking on ear and fingers still buried inside.

Cordelia felt Misty's body relax onto her as somewhere at the back of her foggy brain she must have registered that gravity had changed and trusted Cordelia, so just let her body fall limp.

Smiling at that and running smoothing lines up and down Misty's back with the hand no longer needed to hold up her leg, Cordelia placed soft kisses into the younger woman's hair.

“You are phenomenal." Cordelia whispered, gently removing her fingers from the younger woman's sensitive folds and basking in post-orgasm Misty.

The young witch made a small noise in response to the loss of Cordelia's fingers and placed a soft kiss on the red skin of Cordelia's shoulder that she had all but cannibalised and spoke against her skin headily.

"My legs have turned to jelly and I have a buzzin' all over my body Miss Cordelia, I don't know how you did that but I could certainly get used to it."

Cordelia chuckled beneath her, enjoying feeling Misty's weight on top of her as her chest shook.

"Let's most definitely do." Cordelia said smiling.

Misty lifted her head off of Cordelia and looked her in the eyes with such love and wholeness, having no accurate words to describe what the older woman meant to her in her mind blown state so simply kissed her.

Sliding her hands out from underneath her shoulders, Misty placed them either side of Cordelia's face deepening the kiss and feeling her hips roll into the woman lying beneath her.

Cordelia felt the roll and ground her own hips up into Misty's in response and sliding a hand between them, she started to palm Misty's breast.

Misty moaned into the kiss and broke it momentarily to look Cordelia in the eyes.

"Thankyou for catching me."

"Always." Cordelia responded with a smile before her features dropped in memory. "From now on, I mean. I vow to never let you fall again."

Misty could see the pain and self-blame in Cordelia's eyes as she referred to Misty getting lost in Descensum and she furrowed her own brow, tapping lightly with her finger on Cordelia's chin.

"Don't do that Miss. Don't you dare." She said, shaking her head, eyebrows pulling together and up in earnesty as she spoke. "I went into the seven wonders voluntarily. I could have walked away. It was my choice to take the trial. But today you saved me. You played Michael into bringin' me back. You saved me, Miss Cordelia... I'm... I'm grateful for you in so many ways."

Tightening her grip on the older woman's face slightly to emphasise her words, driving her gratitude from her own eyes into Cordelia's tear filled ones, Misty nodded once in finality on the subject and kissed her Supreme deeply.

Shifting her hips and letting the leg that wasn't bent over Cordelia's hip to fall between the beautiful woman's beneath her, Misty rocked her hips into Cordelia's again.

Cordelia let out a breath in acceptance before lifting the leg on the outside of Misty's and wrapped it over the back of the younger woman's thigh, allowing their bodies to fall flush and their thighs to rub against each other's lace covered cores.

As they ground their thighs into each other, Misty shivered at the stimulation to her already sensitive clit. Removing her hands from Cordelia's face and putting them either side of her lover's head, Misty lifted herself up to hover above Cordelia and gain a more dexterous position to pull her thigh up into her.

Cordelia looked down between them and felt a jolt of arousal pinch low in her belly at the sight. Appreciating Misty's naked breasts for the first time and still palming one, she brought her other hand to guide Misty's free nipple into her mouth, straining her head up and latching her lips around it, sucking and flicking her tongue over the hard nub.

Misty moaned loudly at the added sensation and as Cordelia dropped her head back against the couch before her neck cramped, Misty took the opportunity to look down between them too. She felt her stomach dip in arousal. Cordelia's beautiful form spread beneath her, their legs intertwined, shallow abdomen's rocking from the motion as their bodies moved together, toned thighs pushing into each other's core.

Both women were panting heavily and Misty couldn't help but notice the deteriorating skin on Cordelia's stomach. She knew Cordelia wouldn't lie to her, but she still didn't want to hurt the woman she loved so wholely.

Misty pulled away with a a groan and a huff, causing Cordelia to whimper at the loss of touch. Sitting back on her knees as she looked down at the wound on Cordelia's stomach. "Are you su-... Will you really be okay? I don't want to hurt you." Misty asked the heavily breathing Supreme below her, mindful of her recent collapse less than two hours ago.

Cordelia smiled as her heart swelled, tears wetting her already over emotional eyes, knowing that Misty was still concerned for her and putting her safety above her own desires.

"It doesn't hurt, it's numb. I've never felt anything there, only ever watched it slowly decay... And you did just hump my hips to death a few minutes ago, you'd have noticed if I was in pain.“ Cordelia assured and reminded her, chuckling. "I'll be more than fine, my sickness is not connected to activity or fatigue... You can't hurt me Misty."

"I don't think I could forgive myself if I did." Misty whispered, water shining in her eyes.

"Oh my dear Misty..." Cordelia said as she pulled Misty into a hug. It had been such an emotional few hours for both of them. "You won't hurt me." Then with a twinkle in her eye, smirk on her lips and brass in her voice: "I'm the Supreme."

Misty chuckled against Cordelia as her Supreme allayed her fears.

“Every time you touch me, my body burns in the best way... I promise you won't hurt me." Cordelia added for emphasis.

Misty was happy with that answer and kissed her deeply before sliding off the couch to stand and slid out of her soaked underwear, tossing them to the floor.

The curly haired bohemian pulled Cordelia upright and swung her legs to the floor so she was sitting on the couch normally before leaning over her Supreme and claiming another kiss.

"I love you." Misty whispered, receiving a heart-lifting smile and an "I love you" back.

Misty then slid down Cordelia's body to kneel in front of her, leaning forward to place a kiss on the damaged skin on her stomach, making Cordelia's eyes grow wet again with sentiment, before running her hands up legs, over her thighs to her hips and to curl her fingers over the edge of the lacy underwear.

Looking Cordelia in the eyes as she did so, Misty began to pull the thong down in a movement not unlike worship. Cordelia raised her hips to allow the scrap of material to pass between her skin and the couch, becoming lost in her view of Misty kneeling in front of her, holding her eye contact as she stripped her naked.

Discarding the thong, Misty's eyes flicked down to Cordelia's clean shaven pussy and surprise scattered across her face.

"Where is your hair?" Misty gasped, sitting back and eyeing Cordelia's baldness in shock. Cordelia chuckled huskily at the woman's innocence, reaching up to stroke her cheek as she answered.

"I shaved it off."

"Like a man?"

Cordelia laughed loudly at this, then answered with indignantly before continuing gently. "Like a damn woman. Some women like to shave themselves, I guess it's like how men like to shave their beards off, sure. But it's personal choice and quite common."

"Why though?"

Cordelia chuckled again. "It's different for everyone, some for aesthetic, some for accessibility, some for cleanliness, but I guess for me... It's just much easier in many ways than having hair there."

Misty moved back and crouched down, inspecting Cordelia up close. Cordelia would have been lost in embarrassment had it been anyone other than her Misty looking so inquisitively close at the most private part of her body.

"Well you can see it all a lot clearer...I've only ever used mirrors to look at mine."

Cordelia laughed again at the swamp witch's bluntness.

"Should I shave mine?"

Cordelia pulled Misty up off the floor and leaned into a kiss before pulling back slightly and running a hand down Misty's stomach, playing with the thick curls there and looking up at her through sultry eyes.

"There is no 'should' Misty, it's neither right nor wrong. It's only what you want... But to be quite honest dear, I like yours like this, it's natural and a little wild, yet gorgeous... Very much like you."

Misty smiled widely at the compliment and leaned forward to kiss Cordelia again before settling back down to kneel between her legs and look at Cordelia's core, licking her lips.

“I want to... to put my mouth on you... I want to taste you.“ Misty looked a up at Cordelia apprehensively, chewing her lip.

Cordelia's eyes blew wide at the thought and she nodded her head quickly, swallowing dryly. "I'd like that very much." She husked, looking down at Misty through hooded eyes.

Misty pulled Cordelia's hips toward her so her bottom was perched on the edge of the couch and allowing Misty the best access. It was a wide couch so Cordelia grabbed the cushions from against the arm and pushed them behind her so she wasn't completely slumped flat, able to watch Misty push her knees apart and run her hands up her legs again.

Bringing her hand gently to Cordelia's glistening core, Misty parted Cordelia's folds and licked her lips again as Cordelia's breath shuddered inwards at the touch. The younger woman ran a finger from her other hand down her Supreme's opening, dipping the tip in at it's widest point, gathering juices.

Cordelia whimpered and cantered her hips as Misty removed the wet digit, whining in protest but hushing as she looked down her body to the woman kneeling between her spread legs who was bringing her crystal-ring clad hand to her mouth, placing her finger on her tongue and sucking it into her mouth.

Cordelia's mouth dropped open and her dark pupils filled her irises at the sensual image. "Oh my god." She let out in a breath.

Misty looked up at Cordelia and grinned in amazement, her dimples prominent. "You taste just like salty pears! Here...“

Misty then dipped her finger deeper into Cordelia, drawing a gasp and more liquid and placed it on her tongue, climbing up Cordelia and pushing her lover's lubricant into her own mouth with her tongue, as they kissed.

Cordelia's eyes rolled back as she lost her hands in Misty's hair, amazed by how uninhibitedly comfortable Misty was sharing their bodies and how goddamn sexy it was that her alternate lifestyle had made her oblivious to so many self-destructive social taboos.

Tasting herself on Misty's tongue and realising for the first time in her sexually active life that she did indeed taste similar to salty pears; Cordelia whimpered, bucking her hips up into her lover and breaking their kiss to husk. "You're incredible."

Misty beamed at Cordelia then, understanding that she was desperate to be touched again by her cantering hips, slid back down to her knees on the floor, put her arms under Cordelia's thighs and braced her hips as she leant in and placed her tongue against her Supreme's centre.

Cordelia moaned loudly at the contact and Misty flattened her tongue, playing with her muscles as she lapped at Cordelia's folds. Bringing her tongue up over her clitoral hood, Misty sucked deeply, causing Cordelia to cry out loudly and throw her back into the couch cushions. Cordelia's stomach tightening at the hotness of Misty crouching below her and eating her out.

Misty only had her own self-experimentation to draw on in terms of what would feel good for Cordelia but she was very much a creature of instinct and learned very quickly what each sound and movement her lover made meant in terms of pleasure.

So that when she ran her tongue in three circles around Cordelia's vulva, to then push her tongue as far as it could go into her vagina, nosing her clit followed by flattening and tensing the muscles in her tongue and letting it slide out like that, then running it up her folds to suck on her clit, before repeating the whole journey over and over; Misty could tell by the way Cordelia's back was arching off the couch, eyes screwed shut, one hand gripping the back of Misty's curly haired head and her other fisted in her mouth as her hips jerked, mewling in a constant high pitch, liquid seeping from her entrance to coat Misty's mouth, chin and lips in salted pear...

Yea, Misty could tell that she was doing something right.

Smiling in happiness against Cordelia's folds at her obvious pleasure as she worked her tongue, Misty focused on Cordelia's clit and slid one hand from her hold on Cordelia's hip to tuck beneath her chin and circle her entrance before slowly dipping inside.

Both women gasped at the sensations of the action.

"Oh god Miss Cordelia, you feel amazin'." Misty pulled away briefly as she marvelled, her gut dipping in arousal at the velvet hug of Cordelia's vagina, revelling in the feeling of her pillowy walls pushing aside to let her finger through and watching the juices slide out either side of her digit.

Cordelia lifted her head to look down at the incredible view of Misty's cum covered jaw and mouth which was open in awe, staring at her centre, just as another finger was added inside of her. The newly added middle finger having a rounded crystal ring that dug just right into the base of her opening each time it was pushed into her and Cordelia had to let her head fall back into the cushions again; the visuals of Misty's juice covered face and the sensations inside of her just too much. Too overloaded. Too good.

Misty pushed her two fingers inside Cordelia's glorious cunt, finding utter arousal and satisfaction in watching them disappear within her lover. She cork-screwed her fingers and curled them upwards as she dragged them out, before cork-screwing them inwards again. Cordelia's head started to roll either side on the cushions as her pelvis rolled with Misty's actions, her fingers threading into her swamp witch's curly feathered hair, pulling her head towards her centre and Misty was all too happy to oblige as she began to dine on Cordelia's clit again, fingers still thrusting in and out of her lover.

Cordelia started to moan and Misty knew she would be getting close to coming undone. Drawing her teeth across the hood of Cordelia's clit and getting a yelp in response followed quickly by an animalistic groan, Misty watched Cordelia's back arch off the couch.

Cordelia was now sobbing loudly as Misty felt the flesh around her fingers begin to flutter. Groaning in response to the feeling around her fingers, sending vibrations through Cordelia's clit and adding a third finger into her Supreme's tightening cunt.

"Miiiiiiiiiiiii- styyyyyyyyyyy!" Cordelia keened at the added fullness, throwing her head back as her hips raised high off the couch.

Misty had to chase after the juicy flower she was feasting on, biting down hard on her lover's clit and then sucking the assaulted nub hard into her mouth, feeling Cordelia's walls clamping down on Misty's three fingers, then fluttering loose and clamping down over and over as she screamed through her orgasm, Misty having to brace her free forearm over Cordelia's hips while they spasmed.

Finally Cordelia's bucking stilled and her screaming stopped as muscles all over her body clenched in ecstacy, her body jerking a few times, mouth open wide in silent scream, eyebrows pulled so tightly together that Misty worried briefly that she was in pain. But moments later Cordelia's lungs allowed her to let out a rush of air, quickly dragging in a breath, holding it for a moment before letting it shudder from her as her hips slowly lowered to the couch.

Cordelia lay there breathing heavily, her eyes closed and hands limply hanging in Misty's curls, with a look of utter blisd draped across her face as her pussy pulsed in aftershock.

Misty placed the softest kiss at the skin above Cordelia's hood and removed her fingers slowly, climbing up the couch to lay her body against her lover's. Laying an arm over her torso and pulling her tight, Misty leaning her head on her shoulder, placing light kisses on the skin there.

Cordelia's lips quirked up at the affection and eyes still closed, licked her dry lips and let a hum out in euphoria as she wrapped an arm around Misty.

Tilting her head up to look at her Supreme's stunning face, so content and happy, Misty spoke in honesty.

"You are so beautiful Miss Cordelia..."

A smile spread across Cordelia's lips and she let her eyes open slowly, looking down at Misty.

"I love you Misty Day."

Misty beamed up at her, dimples sinking deep into her cheeks, her heart soaring upon hearing those words from the love of her life. She scrambled up and threw her leg over Cordelia, straddling her hips and leaning down to kiss her fully.

Cordelia chuckled into the kiss and smiled against Misty's lips.

Misty ground her pelvis down into the gorgeous woman below her and Cordelia was shocked to find her body reacting again, becoming aroused so quickly after such an earth shattering orgasm.

Shifting the cushions to the end of the lounge and encouraging Misty to turn with her, Cordelia lay long ways on the couch, settling Misty to sit on her stomach.

Misty smiled down at Cordelia and rocked her hips again, shuddering. Cordelia gasped as cum from Misty's core smeared across her stomach, delighting in the feeling as Misty moved away and the air in the room ran over the wetness, making her skin raise in goose flesh and causing her to shiver.

Running a hand down between them, Cordelia reached for Misty's folds, spreading them apart and inserting a finger into the younger witch.

Misty moaned and rolled her hips in a circle against Cordelia's hand, before she stopped, reaching up and cupping her Supreme's face, breathlessly asking her need.

“Can you fill me Miss? Is that somethin' you can do... somehow, with your magic?" The desire and hope evident in her eyes.

Cordelia stilled her finger and thought for a moment, trying to understand what Misty was asking for, what her body was telling her she needed but her mind wouldn't let her ask aloud.

The confusion was evident on Cordelia's face though, she was already filling Misty with her fingers...

Misty looked down, biting her lip as she tried to find the right words. She stroked Cordelia's cheek, looking deliberately into her eyes then and tried again.

“Zoe told me, back in Louisiana, when I asked her about women who lay together, she told me about a device that exists. Can you summon somethin' that will help you fill me but leave your hands free to hold me?"

Cordelia's eyes lit up and then quickly darkened in desire and Misty bit her lip again, dimples showing.

Cordelia pulled the younger woman's face down to her as she leant up and kissed her deeply, grinding her hips up into Misty's, both whimpering with desire and sensation as it pushed her finger deeper within Misty. She then pulled back and disappointingly removed her hand, making Misty gasp as Cordelia then put her fingers into her mouth, moaning at the sweet taste of Misty's caramelly lust.

The younger woman watched, blushing and utterly turned on by Cordelia's tongue as it lapped her own juices off her fingers. Cordelia smirked up at her before holding out her now clean hand where a black double strap-on appeared, the harness straps dangling either side of her hand.

“Is this what you had in mind?“ Cordelia asked, an eyebrow raised.

Misty's eyes went wide and the blush crept further over her cheeks as she licked her lips and nodded enthusiastically.

Cordelia smiled up at Misty and put it on the couch next to them as she pushed herself up into a sitting position with Misty still straddling her lap and kissed her deeply, running her hands up her back softly as she did. She felt Misty shudder with desire at the sensation. She'd asked for it, Misty wanted to be touched, pet, caressed and Cordelia would not deny either of them that as she ran her hands over her shoulders and down her sides to her hips, trailing over her bottom and squeezing gently, eliciting a whimper and shudder.

Cordelia smiled into the kiss and Misty grabbed Cordelia's face, pressing her body into Cordelia's as she lifted off her lap to kiss her lover from a higher angle. Cordelia moved her hands from Misty's bottom to under her thighs and broke their lips apart to trail wet kisses along Misty's jaw line, to her earlobe which she sucked briefly, recieving a hip rock into her abdomen and another moan from the young witch.

Cordelia chuckled, loving the sounds Misty was making with each new discovery of flesh that she made. She just wanted to give this incredible woman everything: every sensation, every shiver, every erogenous delight, every touch to every place she'd never experienced pleasure. Cordelia was mapping this woman in her head, conquering expanses of unvisited skin and planting gardens in special spots that were rich with life and reaction.

"You are so beautiful Misty." Cordelia moaned through her ministrations, unintentionally mirroring Misty's own admiration from earlier but meaning it just the same. Moving her attention from Misty's earlobe down to her neck to suck on the hollow above her right clavicle, using the opportunity to check there was enough space on the couch behind them.

"Oh Miss Cordelia..." Misty moaned, too lost in the sensations to give a compliment back.

Cordelia crossed her legs beneath Misty and guided Misty to wrap her legs around her waste, holding her bottom again as she continued her exploration of sucking, licking, kissing Misty's skin across her sternum, navigating over her crystal necklaces while Misty's hands were deep in Cordelia's hair, eyes closed and mouth parted in pleasure.

Cordelia took a moment to mentally capture the two of them like this, sitting naked on the couch, Misty in her lap and legs wrapped around her so the warmth of her core was pressed into the skin just below her own belly button. Cordelia smiled through her kisses against Misty's collarbone, hearing a sigh fall from the woman's lips before she lifted Misty slightly and leaned forward, pushing her backwards.

Misty squeaked in surprise as she landed on the couch, her curly hair strewn beneath her, looking up at Cordelia on all fours above her in lust. The feeling to Cordelia, as she put her hands either side of Misty's head and lowered herself to kiss her deeply, was dominating and primal, and she felt a jolt run through her body to her clit. She growled softly into their kiss and lowered her hips onto Misty's, rolling them to grind into her lover. Misty moaned and rocked her own hips up into Cordelia in response.

Reluctantly, Cordelia pulled herself up off of Misty who made a noise in protest, making Cordelia smirk as she reached behind herself to retrieve the strap-on from the couch.

She rose up on her knees above Misty, running the straps through her hands and showing the toy to the woman beneath her before reaching behind herself and between her legs to grab the straps and hold them as she placed the shorter, more curled and ribbed dildo at her entrance and pushing it up inside herself.

Misty let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding as she watched with arousal; Cordelia's eyes fluttering closed and her mouth dropping open as she inserted the toy within herself.

Taking a moment to enjoy adjusting to the feeling, Cordelia opened her eyes to find Misty's fully blown pupils staring hungrily up at her.

Cordelia licked her lips and let a small smile play on them, endulging in the pleasure that Misty was getting off by just watching her.

Pulling the straps up on either side of her hips, she buckled them and looked down at the finished product. Cordelia knew how they worked, but it was the first time she had worn a strap-on and, having been prepared to find it looking ridiculous, she was pleasantly surprised to find the sight erotic and powerful.

Misty stared at Cordelia kneeling above her, hands and black straps high on her hips, the colour contrasting dramatically against her pale skin, the black dildo protruding from her groin.

"Miss Cordelia..." Misty breathed heavily, reaching for her lover's hands and pulling her down on top of her, kissing her.

Misty spread her legs wide beneath Cordelia and the older woman reached between them to line up the black cock with Misty's entrance, pushing lightly and slowly, not wanting to hurt her, mindful that this was most likely her first time with anything aside from fingers. But Misty's centre was so lubricated from the arousal of the evening that the shaft slid in easily and Cordelia stopped only when there was a quarter of the toy left to go, not wanting to put too much sensation on Misty in the initial stages of, essentially, fucking her.

With that goal in mind, Cordelia thought she might cum again just from watching Misty's face as she was filled and streched; eyes rolling closed, mouth parting in pleasure, breath coming in shallow bursts, the muscles around her mouth and eyebrows jumping from the unfamiliar sensation within her, her eyebrows knitted in that good kind of furrow reserved only for sexual sensitivity.  
Cordelia felt her hips wanting to buck at the erotic display rippling across Misty's features, but she kept her hips resolutely still to allow the younger woman time to adjust to the fullness.

Slowly forcing her eyelids to flutter open, Misty looked up at her everything leaning over above her. She was so full of her Supreme in every one of her senses.

Cordelia smiled down at Misty, letting her eyes overflow with love and safety, stroking Misty's cheek and letting her decide when her body was ready.

"Take your time Misty, move when you're ready. The stretch is normal, but if it's painful tell me okay?"

Misty's eyes dampened with the acknowledgement that all the love she was receiving from Cordelia was healing her. She'd spent too many long years in hell repeating a scenario where she wasn't shown acceptance, or patience, or empathy, or compassion or any form of respect... And here was this beautiful woman giving all of those things freely. Her heart drummed wildly with the love she felt from and for Cordelia.

"Are you in pain?!" Cordelia worried, seeing the tears in her eyes. "Oh god Misty! I'm so sorry. Oh god..." she whispered hurriedly as she began to pull out of her.

"No!" Misty said breathlessly grabbing Cordelia's arms to stop her. Blinking up at her wetly and smiling.

"Aren't you in pain?!" Cordelia rushed, horrified.

"I'm in love!" Misty let out with a breath of emotion before explaining softly. "I just spent years in a place where I was completely dismissed and made to feel such anguish and to seem so small and disempowered... Now I'm safe in your arms where you treat me like the most incredible thin' in the world." She finished, biting the inside of her cheek against the tears.

Cordelia's face softened as she stroked Misty's cheek again, wiping away at the dampness below her eyes with her thumb before leaning down to kiss her, pulling back as she cupped her face.

"You are the most incredible thing in the world."

Misty let out a sob of happiness, so overwhelmed with the love and fullness she felt. She knew there would be a time for tears for what she lost, but it wasn't now. She shook her head to clear away the thoughts and return to the moment, taking a deep breath she reached up to stroke Cordelia's face and nodded once before kissing her and rolling her hips.

Both women moaned at the sensation of the toy within them that the movement caused.

Cordelia leaned down to press a kiss into Misty's forehead in understanding, support and acknowledgement of 'later' as she began to set a slow pace.

Dropping down to her elbows and laying her forearms flat either side of Misty's head, allowing her to rest on her bones and focus on her thrusts, Cordelia moved slowly and shallowly, wanting Misty to have time to adjust to the pressure within her.

The younger woman whined at the stimulation the dildo created each time it pushed into her, the feeling so unusual but breathtaking, relishing the electricity butterflying within her each time the toy hit her deeply. But she wanted more, needed more and looking down at their hips, Misty noticed that Cordelia wasn't giving her all of the shaft.

Loving this woman for her sensitivity but needing to be filled deeply, Misty reached down and grabbed Cordelia's hips, sliding her hands around to her amazing ass cheeks and pulled her groin flush against hers, wrapping her legs behind Cordelia's to hold her in.

Misty's mouth dropped open and a long moan escaped her lips, her breath shuddering out with it, staring straight up at the ceiling as she was filled completely.

Cordelia was surprised by Misty's sudden jump to the next level and concern filled her chest that she was moving too fast for herself. She could only be still and let Misty guide this herself, hoping she wouldn't hurt herself.

As Misty's moan died, she looked down at Cordelia and breathily whimpered.

"Please... Fuck me."

Cordelia let out such a deep moan, dropping her head down and felt her walls clench over the curled toy inside of her with a rush of desire wetting the inside of the harness at Misty's words.

Bringing her head up, looking through the sheets of her hair that fell either side of her face to her incredible swamp witch laying beneath her and begging to be fucked. Cordelia could only let in a gasp and breathlessly let out an "Okay...", nodding her head with it.

Misty unlocked her legs and Cordelia pulled her hips back and pushed all the way in drawing a gasp from the goddess below her. Pulling her hips back she thrust in a little faster, getting a moan from Misty. Sliding out and driving in fast, Misty cried out in pleasure.

Continuing this speed, thrusting into Misty, Cordelia could feel the toy inside of her shift against her g-spot with each jolt causing her to moan too.

Misty lifted her hips into her lover's allowing the toy to slide deeper within her and Cordelia then rose up on her knees and pulled the younger woman towards her down the couch, holding Misty's hips up by wrapping arms under her thighs. Misty moved to match Cordelia by placing her feet on the couch either side of her Supreme's knees and lifted her lower back up off the couch, lining their pelvis's up as Cordelia began thrusting again.

Misty keened and gasped at the better angle, bringing her hands to her own breasts and rubbing at her nipples, feeling more of the toy within her.

Cordelia looked down at the view of the dildo disappearing into Misty's wet pussy and her own pussy clenched at the sight. She then carried her eyes to Misty's position for it to clench again. Only the back of Misty's head, her upper back and feet were connected with the couch as her hips were raised to meet her own, all while she palmed her breasts with ring covered hands, curly blond hair and feathers strewn around her head which was tilted up with eyes slammed shut, biting on her lower lip.

Their moans and huffs and gasps and cries were filling the fire-lit library as Cordelia knelt on the couch and thrust into Misty. Cordelia quietly thanked her forethought to cast the silencing and deterring spell, unable to comprehend what would happened if someone walked in.

Misty reached up and placed her hand over Cordelia's as it gripped her thigh while she thrust.

"Ahgn... can I... ahhn can I... ngh roll over?" Misty grunted through Cordelia's bucking.

Cordelia stilled immediately, thinking there was something wrong. But she noticed the animalistic look in Misty's eyes and Cordelia couldn't help but love her all the more for it.

"I want you to take me Miss, to own me..."

Cordelia's pupils blew wide in lust and she nodded her head quickly in response, sliding the didlo from Misty and drawing a whimper of loss before Misty sat up, scooched back along the couch and turned her self over onto her hands and knees, looking over her shoulder desperately at her Supreme.

Cordelia only took a moment to recover from such an arousing sight as she moved forward, drawn to Misty's ass, grabbing it and ducking her head down to run her teeth along a cheek before licking at it and sucking on the reddening skin.

Misty moaned in delight and arched her back, pushing her bottom into Cordelia's mouth, whispering her approval.

"Yessss... "

Cordelia smiled against her skin at her lover's need then rose up and spread apart Misty's cheeks, groaning at the glistening sight before placing the tip of the dildo into Misty and pushing inwards to it's hilt.

Misty moaned long and desperately at the satisfaction and completeness of being granted her desire. Pushing her bottom back into Cordelia's groin, she moved forwards and then pushed her ass back again, sheathing herself around the dildo. Cordelia felt another gush of lubricant flow from her as she remained still and watched Misty fuck herself on the black shaft, mewling and rolling her hips below her.

Her arousal peaking, Cordelia gripped Misty's hips and began to thrust into her. Both were so far gone with sensitivity that it only took a few thrusts from Cordelia's hips for both of them to feel the familiar pull of tension low in their bellies.

Cordelia ran her hands up Misty's back as she thrust, noticing the breathless response her touch pulled from Misty who leaned her head back towards her hands as she thread her fingers through the curly strands and pulled slightly.

Misty's reaction was overwhelming as she let out a cry of ecstasy, arching her back so deeply, slamming her hips back into Cordelia's and letting out a "YESSSSSS!"

Cordelia understood fully then what Misty needed. So close with nature, the woman needed raw, animalistic, primal. She wanted to be loved and feel safe but with that she needed to be dominated, taken, claimed.

She pulled tighter on Misty's hair and with her free hand raked her nails down Misty's back as she drove her hips hard and fast into her beautiful swamp witch.

Misty screamed gutteraly at the perfection of sensation that Cordelia was giving her, feeling her pussy clenching.

"Ugh yes- ah yes ngh Miss- I think I'm goin' t...“

Cordelia felt Misty's body tense and jerk as her own walls began gripping at the toy of the strap-on inside herself and she leant forward over the younger woman, pressing her breasts into her back, and biting down on Misty's neck as she thrust her hips erratically, reaching around to flick her fingers frantically over Misty's clit.

Misty jerked her hips wildly at the touch and Cordelia cried out through her own orgasm, watching Misty throw her head up and scream in ecstacy as her body spasmed beneath Cordelia's own shuddering form.

Riding out the spasms, they managed to stay upright, and after their bodies had stopped jerking and their skin slowed it's jumping and as Misty came down from her second climax of the evening, she dropped her head onto the couch and whimpered into the cushion.

“Please put your mouth on me Miss Cordelia!"

Cordelia felt her gut tighten at the thought of tasting Misty again and immediately but gently withdrew, backing up and ducking her head between Misty's cheeks, running her tongue, from as far forward as she could reach in their positions, towards her.

Misty cried out and Cordelia put her hands on Misty's cheeks, pulling them apart as she pushed her face into Misty, driving her tongue into her lover's entrance and sucking. She felt liquid gush onto her chin and tasted Misty's delicious caramel tang, moaning herself at the sheer overwhelm of it all.

As she pushed her tongue deep within Misty, curling her tongue and then withdrawing to flick and suck hard on her clit, Cordelia felt Misty shudder around her in a follow up orgasm, the younger woman keening loudly into the couch as she shivered.

Lapping softly at her folds, enjoying the way Misty's skin jumped and twitched around her mouth, Cordelia hummed into her already oversensitive pussy and chuckled as Misty whimpered and collapsed onto her front on the couch in complete overstimulation and exhaustion, her core pulsing and shooting aftershocks of pleasure through her.

Overwhelmed and exhausted herself, Cordelia crawled up to her lover and laying down next to the limp woman, pulled Misty to her, where the younger woman adjusted and snuggled against her Supreme.

\--------------

Cordelia lay on the couch stroking Misty's arm where she layed tucked into her, legs wrapped with hers, curly-haired head resting against her chest and tracing her own circles in the skin of Cordelia's shoulder, both in states of extreme bliss.

"I truly love you Misty." Cordelia said, breaking the silence.

Cordelia felt Misty's body melt a little bit more on top of her before the younger woman lifted up to look the other in the eyes, smiling euphorically.

"I love you Cordelia."

A wide smile spread across Cordelia's face as she leant her head forward and kissed her lover deeply.

Pulling away she said with a small smirk. "You didn't call me Miss."

Misty blushed and said with apprehension. "Is that okay?"

Cordelia chuckled. "Yes, I told you long ago that titles aren't necessary. Although to be honest, I do like the pet name. It's pretty sexy."

Misty smiled cheekily back at Cordelia just as her stomach rumbled loudly and both women laughed freely, the feelings of utter ease, comfort, safety and happiness in this moment were not lost on either of them.

"I guess it's been a while since you've eaten." Cordelia realised, stroking Misty's arm. "Let's get you some food."

Misty sighed and then nodded, pulling herself from Cordelia and standing to put her clothes on, wobbling a little on still shaky legs.

Cordelia chuckled and took a moment to watch her Misty, naked and gorgeous. She silently thanked the powers-that-be for their love to finally be shared, smiling coyly as Misty noticed her watching and blushed. She sighed aswell before pulling herself upright and looking for her clothes.

The two women got dressed, handing each other items of clothing, sharing loving glances, dimpled smiles, and soft giggles.

Finishing, Cordelia moved towards Misty as she buckled her belt, adjusting it on her waste and looking up when Cordelia approached her, running her hands around Misty's waste and pulling her to her.

Misty looked up at Cordelia, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and biting her lip to hide a smile.

"Thank you." Misty said, looking up at the ceiling and shaking her head in ridiculousness at everything they just did.

"Hmmm. Same." Cordelia replied, smirking and reaching up to brush Misty's hair from her face as she looked into her lover's eyes and added coyly. "I'm looking forward to getting you home and doing more of that... In an actual bed too." Laughing and looking at the couch they just defiled before sobering and bringing their lips together, both smiling through the kiss.

Cordelia sighed. "Okay... We've most certainly taken enough time to ourselves. Your sisters are probably dying to catch you up and there is someone I have to call... We'll get you some food."

"Mmmm I could kill for some fries." Misty laughed, stepping away from their embrace and reaching down to take Cordelia's hand, swinging their arms and grinning widely at her before taking a skip towards the door and pulling Cordelia with her, both smiling and giggling as they crossed the room.

Cordelia opened the door for them and let Misty curtsey with a smile and step through, before she turned back to the room and waved her hand over it, removing her magical wards.

Taking one last look at the firelit library and the couch that now had a very special place in her heart, Cordelia followed after Misty into the corridor with the biggest fool-in-love smile lighting her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please please please please leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts, even if you just want to squee about the pairing. 
> 
> Pretty sure this is going to continue too.


	3. This is for You, Misty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I took some time away from writing this for a while. The show thoroughly threw me in terms of where I should go with the storyline being so future, present, past, present, future, past, present, past... Ugh you get me.
> 
> When I started this work I believed that Misty and Cordelia would continue appearing alongside each other and my intention was to take each canon interaction and add to it in my own way. That obviously didn't go according to plan.
> 
> This chapter was sitting, completed for so long and I held off because I didn't know if it would fit Canon and then after the show ended I felt that my story worked well as it's own complete work so simply left it. 
> 
> BUT... I missed them. I missed writing them, I missed all the opportunities that the show writers missed. So this chapter is leading into a bigger adventure. Where we will go, noone knows...
> 
> Enjoy the ride with me. 
> 
> Also there is a bit in this chapter about what Misty feels from the earth and what that's like on aeroplanes that is based off my own connection with nature. I'm curious to know if anyone else picks up on the same vibes as I do, so please share with me if you experience similar feelings hey.
> 
>  
> 
> \--------------

"Oh my god! You actually got me fries!" Misty gushed, approaching the plate of food as the coven entered one of the dining rooms deep underground at Hawthorne School for Exceptional Young Men.

Misty turned and wrapped her arms around Cordelia, pulling back with a giddy smile, her arms still draped around her Supreme's shoulders.

"Thank you." Misty sighed, looking into Cordelia's eyes. "For everything..."

The two women stood smiling like fools in each other's arms for a beat before Cordelia realised they were in the company of the coven who weren't yet aware of their romantic relationship, so covered their moment with a laugh.

"Well you said you could kill for some fries and I'm not the biggest fan of bloodshed..." Cordelia chuckled and brushed some hair out of Misty's face. "Please. Eat. I know you're hungry." She added, with a twinkling in her eyes that was understood only by her lover as she motioned to the food.

Misty's stomach grumbled loudly and the girls laughed as they sat in their chairs as Misty began to wolf down fries.

Cordelia watched Misty happily, thinking about what she felt for the curly-haired swamp witch and how their relationship would be recieved by her coven. She didn't feel that they'd be ostracised in anyway and she was sure Misty wasn't ashamed of their love, no, her hesitation for public displays of affection was simply because she and Misty hadn't discussed what their relationship was yet.

Most of the time that they had in private earlier was spent touching as much of each other's naked skin as they could and having body wracking and voice box straining orgasms.

Cordelia blushed as memories of their sex earlier played in her mind, acknowledging that they hadn't named or spoken about what they were to each other outside of knowing that they were lovers and she wanted to have the couple conversation with Misty before others were allowed to witness their blissful bubble.

"I'm starving." Misty said around the strands of potato she was putting in her mouth as the girls laughed with her. "They don't serve solid food in Hell..." she added quietly.

The talk brought Cordelia back from her thoughts and acknowledging the dark humour Misty just dropped, she reached across to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, leaning forward warmly and sent her dazzling smile towards Misty's bowed head as the younger woman scoffed her food down.

Stroking Misty's hair, Cordelia sat back in her chair again, noticing Myrtle looking at them with a knowing smile, causing her to blush and send a puppydog smile back at Myrtle.

Quite abruptly, the double doors to the dining room rumbled open and of all people; Stevie Nicks stood in the doorway smiling at them.

"Hello, witches."

Misty spun around in her seat as she recognised the voice, nearly choking on her fries and turning back to Cordelia in awe.

"Oh, my god. You called the White Witch?!"

Cordelia simply laughed and took Misty's hands, leaning in to kiss her but catching herself and simply offering her most heartfelt and yet cheeky grin.

Misty returned Cordelia's wide smile, understanding the reasons for the sudden space in intimacy. They both stood up, fingers still loosely intertwined as they turned to face Stevie.

Stevie smiled coyly from the doorway before turning and silently walking back down the hall.

Cordelia turned her head back to her coven to see Zoe and Queenie look at each other excitedly and then stare after Stevie. She felt at such peace. Her coven was together again, at last.

Cordelia couldn't help but notice Madison's feigned boredom and smirked, recognising her defence mechanism as envy for not being the celebrity-witch at the centre of attention and accepting Madison even more for her predictability. Turning to smile at Myrtle, Cordelia briefly squeezed Misty's hand before releasing it and motioning for everyone to follow as she took the lead down the hall after Stevie.

As they walked, Cordelia could hear the excited whispers of her girls and she smiled softly to herself, it genuinely made her happy to know her girls were happy too.

As they turned the corner, her smile faltered when Stevie's volumed hair disappeared through the door into the library.

Cordelia felt an anxiety pull at her as they entered the room and she looked at the couch Misty and her had just had rather involved sex on not an hour earlier.

As she stood beside the door, Cordelia's eyes ghosted over Behold reclining on the stairs, Ariel up on the gallery and Baldwin seated at the piano; all gathered and waiting for the show to begin. Cordelia couldn't help but be hyper-aware that some of the warlocks in the room had extra-sensory perceptions when it came to lingering and residue energies and the thought of any of them sensing or knowing what had happened in here, in private, made her feel nauseas.

Her thoughts jumped to images of Misty's head buried deep between her legs, licking and sucking, fingers curling desperately within her as their naked bodies rocked together, her head strained back into the cushions while she howled Misty's name in climax.

Cordelia was startled from her memories, tensing, as something touched her fingers when the girls filed past her into the room. Realising that Misty had brushed her hand with her own as she'd entered, she felt her shoulders relax and her cheeks redden, watching her lover cross the room, her stomach tightening as she allowed the memories of their time on the couch play.

Misty approached the couch and stilled a moment, eyes and head moving to meet Cordelia's gaze that was exuding 'I know' in all the seriousness and humour this situation entailed mingled with a glossy faraway look, before the young witch blushed and plopped down right in the centre of the couch. Zoe and Queenie filed in to stand behind it, completely oblivious to anything awry.

Cordelia had a quiet moment to thank that Nan was not around to hear what was in their heads. Immediately feeling saddened and disappointed with herself for being grateful of Nan's absence especially when she'd suffered such a horrific murder at the hands of Fiona.

Cordelia took a deep breath, reminding herself that those times were over and turned her attention back to Misty who was looking down at the fabric of the couch under her fingers, next to her thigh, lost in her thoughts. Her legs were pressed together in an unusually tight way, that took Cordelia only a moment to realise that Misty was turned on by sitting on the couch. Cordelia swallowed, feeling her own body react before Stevie began speaking and Misty's head snapped up so fast, only Cordelia noticed any lapse in attention.

"This is for you, Misty." Stevie said with tenderness, recalling the horror of Misty's perdition that Cordelia had relayed to her on the phone an hour before.

Baldwin began to play the piano and Stevie sung.

"So I'm back to the velvet ohhh underground. Back to the floor that I love, to a room with some lace and some paper flowers. Back to the gypsy that I was..."

For Cordelia, it was as if everything revolved around Misty. Leaning against the far wall of the library, her dear old friend singing to the woman she loved, Cordelia just couldn't stop watching Misty's face.  
She could see the swamp witch's delicate heart floating in her throat as the woman who grounded her through music for so many lonely years in her cabin dedicated a song to her. She knew what this meant to Misty and she had meant it when she had said it was her time to heal.

But Cordelia could still see all the pain behind Misty's eyes, all the suffering she went through in Descensum and all she went through before that. Her heart beat painfully for the woman she loved.

As Cordelia felt the emotion rushing in waves off the young witch, she knew she wanted to make their time together last and she wanted that time to be as peaceful and easy as possible. Glancing up at the boy on the gallery who had just passed the Seven Wonders, Cordelia began to formulate a plan.

She needed to understand who Michael Langdon was and what kind of a threat to their future he held. With resolve, she sent a wave of urgency to Madison, who was standing in front of her and knowing she got the message, Cordelia took one last look at Misty lost in watching Stevie sing and sway before she turned and disappeared quietly down the hall, determined to find some answers.

 

\--------------

 

"We're what?!" Misty asked in panic from where she sat on Zoe's bed in the fire lit cavernous bedroom of Hawthorn School. Grabbing Zoe's wrists urgently to still the straight-haired witch from packing her bag, Misty looked up at her in worry, eyebrows knitted.

"Which part?" Queenie deadpanned, standing with her back to them at the second bed on the other side of the room as she packed up her own things.

"The part where we're not in New Orleans and we're gonna be flyin'...?" Misty said seriously eyes flicking between the two girls.

Misty's heart beat hard in her chest at the thought of being stuck in such a cruel space for hours. She was done. Done with feeling trapped, done with the feeling of death all around her. Planes had no life. Only static people and metal and plastic. All of them waiting to return to earth.

Her whole life she'd felt the roots deep within the soil breathing and moving and living and talking. Even with shoes on, walking on the linoleum in her childhood home, she could always feel that love and connection below her, feeding up through the soles of her feet to her heart.

She'd known they were deep underground as soon as Michael had brought her back, she could feel it all around. Just like someone knows which way the wind is blowing from, they feel it, it hits their senses, instinctually aware without having to consciously process the sensations and what they mean. When she'd woken, it's how she'd known deep down that she was really back, the hum of the earth was so loud, so warm, so alive; so comforting.

When she'd been in Descensum in that horrible, soulless place; she couldn't feel the earth anymore. There was no earth. No life. No hum. Nothing. Just her torture chamber, existing purely on its own surrounded by an abyss of unbearable silence. The only thing worse than that feeling of nothingness were the waves of death that washed off of Michael when he stood in that classroom.  
So the idea of getting on a plane and losing her connection to the earth, that safety that she'd only just reclaimed... The idea of losing that sent a terror through her that made her want to run in any direction that was away from that possibility...

When the two members of the Witch's Council didn't respond to her questions about getting home and turned instead to look at each other in a moment of hesitation, Misty let go of Zoe and threw her hands in the air. "Well screw that. I'm walkin'!"

Zoe laughed with her wide smile as she then continued to pack but stilled and schooled her features when Misty didn't join in on the laughter. "Wait, you're serious Misty? Come on, you can't really want to walk home from here?"

"I do if it means I won't have to be stuck inside a machine in the sky!"

"Walking would take you like three weeks straight! You'd die of dehydration after three days!" Zoe said incredulously.

"Nah, she'd just resurrect herself each time." Queenie laughed as she closed her suitcase shut, turned her head and sent a wink to Misty.

"Okay... So maybe I won't be walkin'. But I can sure as Descensum-hell hitch back to Louisiana!"

"Misty it's like over 20 hours in one stretch by car. What's wrong with flying? Planes are totally safe. We'll be home in under four hours." Zoe said, placing a hand on Misty's in support.

Misty picked at the ends of her shawl as her nerves overtook her.

"It just ain't natural. All that cold metal holdin' you in against a force that'll send y' floatin' away like a dandelion seed if anythin' goes wrong..." Misty shivered at the thought of being so untethered to the earth. "No thank you, I need my bare toes deep in the soil on the best of days..."

"You've never flown have you?" Queenie asked quietly as she sat on her own bed, packed and ready.

"Why would I?!" Misty felt her heart going a million miles an hour. She spoke, directing her words to Zoe and Queenie but they were mostly for herself. "It'll be fine, I'll hitch-hike. Honestly I'll be fine. Miss Cordelia will understand. She won't mind if I get back a couple of days after..."

"Misty..." Zoe started gently as she zipped her bag closed but before she could continue there was a light knock on the door.

Zoe cast at the door and it glided open smoothly, revealing Cordelia and Myrtle with their bags.

Misty momentarily forgot her fears as her heart shot through the roof into the soil above them in this underground school upon having the breathtaking woman she loved within her sight once more.

"Are you ladies ready to go?" Cordelia asked with a smile.

"Yes, the dank of this sub-terra mole-hole is depleting my vitamin D levels as we speak my darlings." Myrtle added with distaste.

Misty stayed sitting on the bed shaking her head, fear seeping in once more.

"I can't go with you."

"What? Why?" Cordelia asked with concern, stepping into the room, her heart fluttering with worry as she looked to Misty questioningly.

"I didnt figure we were flyin'. We're so deep underground, I didn't even realise we weren't in Louisiana until half a tick ago when Zoe said somethin' about first class seats." Misty explained nervously. "I'm sorry... I can't go with you. But it's totally fine, really, it's no fuss. I'll hitch-hike back n' be with you in a few days."

"Misty, it'll take you more than days to get back to the Academy if you do that!" Cordelia said, shocked, feeling an icy shard of distress cut through her chest at the thought of Misty hitch-hiking, not because Misty wouldn't be able to protect herself, but because parting from the woman she loved made her feel nauseas. "Hitch-hiking might even take you weeks depending on if you get picked up and then how far they'd take you. We can't separate now... We've only just gotten you back."

"I don't want to leave you. But I... I just... I can't fly..." Misty admitted, tucking a knee up, and hugging it, still sitting on the bed as she lowered her eyes from Cordelia's and then flicked them back up as an idea occurred to her. "You could teach me transmutation. I could get back that way."

Cordelia felt her heart tighten at the thought of Misty trying something as hazardous as transmuting across country.

"One of the biggest rules of transmutation is to never transmute over long distances, it's simply too dangerous." Cordelia said firmly before softening. "We've moved a lot of furniture around in the Academy over the years, a lot has changed. To transmute successfully, you need to be able to see so clearly in your mind where you're going or you could injure yourself. Zoe died the day after we lost you because of transmutation. She appeared out on top of the wrought-iron archway of the gates at Miss Robichaux's and impaled herself..." Her eyes flicking to Zoe in memory and she felt her stomach drop as her mind threw her an image of Misty bloodied, pierced through the middle, limp and hanging dead from the gateway.

Misty looked to Zoe with wide eyes and Zoe nodded in confirmation, the seriousness of it in her own.

"Misty darling, transmutation can turn ghastly even in an environment you're familiar with." Myrtle followed as she could sense Cordelia's distress at Misty trying something so foolish, before adding dramatically. "Over such a long distance, you'll most likely end up separating your internal organs within a wall or through our chaise longue or worse; miss the Academy entirely and find yourself in the bridal showroom of a Marchesa store!"

There was silence after that for a few beats and Cordelia was the one to cut through it anxiously.

"Misty, why don't you want to fly?"

Misty chewed her lip, not sure how to explain her aversion and all the context within her heart. She didn't want to go into the reasons in front of everyone now, it was too soon, too raw, so she settled with a true but vague answer.

"I just get bad vibes."

Cordelia could tell Misty was being deliberately ambiguous, but pressed her further.

"What do you mean?"

Misty's shoulders sagged a little and she was silent for a moment, looking down at the edge of her shawl, straightening the tassels out individually over the bedspread before speaking so quietly that it was almost unheard.

"It's unnatural n' it would... it would feel like... death..."

"What do you mean, 'death'?" Cordelia pushed, alarmed.

Misty was silent as she continued to straighten her shawl, unsure what to say.

"Misty?"

Misty's head snapped up.

"There's only death up there Miss Cordelia!" Misty let out loudly, frustrated and tired, tears brimming in her eyes. "Jus' dead air! Nothin' growin'! Nothin' alive or rich or earthy! Everythin' is cold, plastic n' dead! The earth n' her roots so far below, unreachable n' lost. The energy we all live off of that flows from the soil will be gone n' we'll wilt. All them people will fall into some awful stasus. All jus' happy to be sittin', waitin' for life to pass em by, not knowin' they're dyin', unable to feel it because they're too distracted. But I can... I'll feel that. Their bodies'll be gaspin' for energy. Gaspin' to be dropped back to our life force, like a fish pulled onto a boat. They won't feel it, just happy to be watchin' screens and waitin' till their feet can touch the earth again and get on with livin'. Not knowing they just starved their souls as they give what they're feeling a name like 'jet lag'... I don't want no part of that." Misty took a deep breath and letting out a loaded sigh, she looked down at her shawl, her eyebrows pulling together, lost in thought and then finished quietly. "There's only stillness up there. A nasty silence. Like when the cicadas go quiet... A predator close by. You just know danger n' death are near n' you can feel it all around but all you can do is stay hidden, retreat into yourself, n' pray it's not there to take you..."

Cordelia stood blinking at Misty hugging her own knee on Zoe's bed, looking small and withdrawn, tears close to falling from her eyes. The only sound in the room was the low crackle of the fireplace.

Overwhelmed with the unexpected outburst and depth to which the woman she loved just described her distrust, Cordelia had seen the wild, flighty look in Misty's eyes when she'd been looking at her and her heart hurt that she had pressed the issue when Misty was so hesitant to talk about it.

"Misty... I'm so sorry I pushed you to explain like that." Cordelia apologised to the woman she loved, watching a tear drop from her hung head as she arranged the tassels of her shawl over the bedspread.

"Ladies could I please have a moment alone with Misty." Cordelia said to the room, smiling kindly to the girls and then turning to Myrtle to place an assuring hand on her arm as she passed the red-head her bags before clasping her hands together in front of her with a bowed head, waiting patiently for the three women to file out with their luggage.

As soon as Queenie closed the heavy wooden door, Misty looked up at Cordelia with tears in her eyes.

"Please don't make me..."

Immediately Cordelia went to Misty and sat on the bed, pulling her into her arms.

"I'm so sorry."

The sudden envelopement of warmth and safety was all Misty needed to let her tears flow freely, burying her head in Cordelia's hair as she held on tight to her Supreme.

"Hey shhhh. It's okay... Misty..." Cordelia soothed as she stroked Misty's back and placed kisses in her hair. "What's going on?"

The younger woman took a deep breath before pulling back and wiping frustratingly at her tears with her ring covered hands.

"I don't know... There's just... I just..." Misty chewed her lip, taking another deep breath and trying again. "I don't want to be pressed into a metal tube in the sky, for hours, without the earth n' it's heart beat, without fresh air, with only that stale smell of suspension surroundin' us..." Heavier tears threatened to drop again from her eyes as she admitted, "I'm not ready to be trapped again."

"Oh Misty..." Cordelia whispered, tears springing in her own as she stroked the younger woman's cheek with her thumb and leaned forward to place a kiss on her forehead. "I promise you this is the last trial you have to complete before you can rest, before you can heal. And I will be with you the whole way. I will be right by your side and I will move heaven, earth and hell to make sure you remain safe."

Misty looked into Cordelia's eyes with hope.

"You will?"

"I will." Cordelia said, giving her a wide and determined smile. "I requested to Myrtle she buy our tickets with yours and mine next to each other."

Misty pulled her lips together at the thought of a ticket already with her name on it and she shook her head slightly and shrugged her shoulders. She wanted Cordelia to understand what she was asking her to do.

How could she explain the feeling of losing her connection with the earth?

"Can I show you somethin'..." Misty spoke quietly, an idea forming in her head, not even sure it was possible, but going with her gut. "Can I show you what I feel. What I've always felt."

"Felt of the earth?" Cordelia asked, a little confused by the segway.

Misty nodded, sniffing.

"I'd be honoured to." Cordelia said softly, genuinely interested in the idea of feeling what Misty felt from the earth and also wanting to connect more deeply with the woman she loved. She was unclear on where Misty was going with this and mindful that their sisters were waiting patiently for them but most importantly; she wanted Misty to be okay with flying home and would honour however the swamp witch needed to reach that point of comfort.

"Sit here." Misty patted the mattress in the centre of the bed in front of her as she shifted, wiping again at her face, crossing her legs and sitting up straight.

Cordelia crossed her legs too, mirroring Misty, their kneecaps touching through Cordelia's dress pants and Misty's dress. The younger witch took the Supreme's left hand in her right and placed her own left in Cordelia's right, so they were both holding the other's left hand, lowering them to rest comfortably on their respective knees.

"Okay. Close your eyes n' look into my mind like you would with concilium, but don't put any thought or action in there. Jus' sit in there, holdin' space but not takin' up space."

Immediately Cordelia was hesitant.

"Misty are you sure about this? I don't want to violate your privacy..." Cordelia asked, looking into her eyes with uncertainty, afraid to overstep and leave her with more pain.

"I've offered n' so long as you don't take or give or explore I'll be fine. Jus' sit n' feel n' accept what I show you. I trust you." Misty replied in earnest.

Cordelia smiled at that, accepting Misty's trust and shuffling a little to sit with a straighter back before closing her eyes,

"Okay sit within my mind. Let your walls down n' feel my energy flow from my right hand into your left, n' out your right n' into my left. As a circle. In... Out... In... Out..."

Misty watched Cordelia's face go slack as she fell into a meditative state, noting that even when her features were neutral Cordelia was still the most beautiful women she'd ever seen and she reflected on her own acknowledgement that she wanted to spend many more years looking upon her face.

"Once you find the open space in my mind, when you feel it n' it's the only thing all around you, nod your head."

Cordelia let her mind go, searching for Misty, finding her and settling within the expanse of quiet that was her mind. Silently, tears began to form in Cordelias eyes as she felt the depth of Misty all around her, as she settled into what she was. Into all her love, all her wild, all her peace, all her strength. These things that make up Misty and who she is. This incredible woman who feels everything. So strongly. So deeply. So powerfully. It shook Cordelia at how dazzlingly bright yet profound it was within Misty's mind and took her a few minutes to become calm, sitting within all that emotion. She felt herself fall deeper in love with Misty upon feeling the warm light that was her essence all around her.

The minutes passed as Cordelia focused on her breath and allowed herself to simply sit within Misty's mind and when she was finally ready she nodded her head.

Immediately Cordelia sucked in a long breath, gasping loudly at the magnitude of what she felt as Misty let her into her senses fully. A heartbeat. No, not a heart beat. A tide... A wave of energy thrumming, so warm, so soft, flowing over them both as the earth breathed. A million tiny waves, coming together to crash as one, in a solid eb of force, of life. Cordelia could feel the earth around them.

Misty searched out beyond the walls of the room and Cordelia went with her, feeling the intense powerful pulses of vitality that were Zoe, Queenie and Myrtle, their bodies drawing energy from one another by simply standing near each other, unaware of the silent and unseen strength they each recieved from the other's presence. Feeding off one another's energy but not in a depleting way, for; as they each took, they gave equally. All recycled, all shared, stronger for it.

As Misty expanded her awareness further, Cordelia felt the men of the school thrumming with life force as they moved within the halls, all of them pulsing with an energy that was coming from outside their Academy walls. It was seeping from the earth surrounding the underground cavern. The worms and beetles in the soil living off it too.  
It was a root system... not just through actual roots within the dirt, but a system of energy, of veins, running through the earth, feeding everything. Energy being pulled from their streams into the living things around it like wisps of mist being pulled into lungs on a cold day.

It was a connection to everything... Everything alive. It was safe, this energy around them. It held Cordelia in such warm arms and all she wanted was to float in it for hours.

Misty slowly brought their awareness back to the room and Cordelia could feel Misty's energy, it hummed so loudly, so in sync, so perfectly in tune with the earth, like years of practice had made it as easy as breathing and she was full to the bursting. Yet she shared her energy back with the earth, a partnership, an awareness, an acknowledgement of each other. The earth knew Misty and Misty knew the earth. They inhabitated each other constantly.

The thrumming around them moved slowly into the background, ebbing away, until it disappeared completely and Cordelia returned to herself, feeling empty and mourning the loss of such a fathomless connection.

As Cordelia became aware of her physical senses again, the first thing she noticed was her cheeks wet with heavy tears. How long had she been crying for?

As she opened her watery eyes, a smile of wonder spreading on her lips, she saw Misty looking at her, with a mixture of complete love and utter desolation on her face and immediately Cordelia's smile died.

"You are dyin'..." Misty whispered in an accusing undertone before the Supreme could talk of what she had experienced.

Cordelia immediately understood that Misty had felt her energy, just as she had felt Misty's and she briefly wondered if the younger witch had ever felt her energy in the days before she died, when she had all the untapped energy of the Supreme.  
What would that power have looked like, felt like? Is that why Misty was drawn to her back then? Was that the only reason? What must her energy look like now. Waning and dying as a new Supreme rises...

"Misty..." Cordelia began before she was cut off by anger.

"No! What the shit?! You dared to lie to my face n' tell me your illness doesn't drain you? That's all it does! I could feel how much you were pullin' from the earth..." Misty said, snatching her hands from Cordelia's, as she looked at her, silently asking through her grief-stricken eyes how she could have broken her trust like that.

Cordelia's chest ached with Misty looking at her like she'd just broken her heart.

"Misty, I don't know what you felt. But I don-"

"I felt you dyin'!" Misty said angrily, tears jumping into her eyes before her shoulders dropped with weight. "Oh my gawd, what is this place?! What has happened to this world since I've been gone?... I ain't in the mood to get on some infernal machine in the sky, I didn't sign up for no fools war against evil, I don't want to be here to watch you wither n' die n' be replaced by someone who aint even half of what you are... Shit! N' right now, I jus' want to give up. T' go curl up in my cabin, in my swamp. But I can't 'cos I'm on the other side of the cussin' country! Shit Miss Cordelia, you really shoulda left me where I was..."

"Misty stop it! Listen to me!" Cordelia said forcefully, cutting off her love's spiralling thoughts. "I don't feel drained, not all the time and not at the moment. Sometimes I get tired, yes. Light headed or dizzy, yes. But there's never a physical catalyst for it. There is nothing specific that triggers it. It comes and goes, as the next Supreme grows. It's from a force of power, of magic, we don't fully understand. It makes sense that it's happening all the time, because the new Supreme is growing all the time, but right now I can't feel it happening. Whatever you saw, I don't feel it. Right now I still feel powerful and in my element as the Supreme. Yes, in half an hour I might feel different, but half an hour after that I may be feeling as strong as ever." Cordelia reached for Misty's hands and held onto them tight, looking into Misty's face. "You said you trusted me. Trust me now okay?"

Misty looked into Cordelia's eyes for the longest time, switching between the two, searching for lies, still looking like her heart had been discarded thoughtlessly.

"So you don't feel it! It don't mean it ain't happenin' to you... I felt it baby. I felt your powers suckin' away n' your body wiltin'... I felt your life bein' sucked away. It was awful..."

Cordelia squeezed Misty's hands in comfort, hating that the woman she loved with all of her being was so lost and fearful in her return to life.

"I'm so sorry you felt that. I can't imagine what feeling that does to you. I'm sorry that we don't know how much time we have left. I'm sorry I couldn't save you earlier. I'm sorry that you missed so many years of peace where we could have... Could have had peace together. I'm sorry that this is the world you came back to. I'm so sorry Misty. I truly am."

It was Misty's time to feel her heart ache at the other's turmoil, reaching for Cordelia's face and brushing away new tears from the Supreme's cheeks.

"Me too." Misty said, mirroring all the sadness for their lost time and the situation they found themselves in. Running her thumb down her cheek, chasing a tear, Misty let it rest on her love's lips before flicking her eyes up to Cordelia's. "I love you."

Cordelia let out a half sob, half laugh at the truth of it.

"I love you too. You have no idea how hard I tried to get you, to free you..."

"Hey, I said it before, n' I meant it." Misty said softly. "It's time to start livin' n' let go of the fear of limited time n' approachin' evil. I might forget my resolve sometimes Miss Cordelia. But... I'm with you now. Till whatever end."

Cordelia let her tears fall at Misty's words and kissed her deeply, bringing her hands up to hold her face and turn the kiss feverish with desperation for their uncertain future.

Misty met her want, furiously clambering onto her lap, straddling Cordelia's crossed legs and bringing their torsos flush together without breaking their kiss.

Both women breathing heavily, Misty rolled her hips into Cordelia's abdomen and Cordelia groaned into Misty's mouth.

Misty bit Cordelia's lip in response before pulling back and taking a deep, shuddering breath.

The women looked desperately at the other, wanting to get lost in each other but too conscious that their sister's were waiting for them.

Cordelia swallowed and cleared her throat, chuckling at their tendency for abandoning propriety if their lust for each other was allowed to become physical.

Misty giggled lightly too and, understanding that they needed to cool things down, moved back off of Cordelia's lap.

Cordelia loved this woman so deeply and desired her so passionately, it made her body buzz just to be close to her. She thought of what she'd felt of the earth when Misty showed her and she bit her lip, becoming serious before asking her bohemian lover about it.

“What you just showed me, the life force in the earth, you feel that? All the time?“

Misty's smile dropped slightly as she was brought back to reality and she settled back cross-legged on the bed again.

"I do some... Not as strongly if I'm busy n' preoccupied, but it does if I'm still or if I'm meditatin'. But it's always there, as a quiet hum, just a feelin', a sense, runnin' in the background 'til I focus in on it."

Misty moved her hands to hold Cordelia's as she felt her need to explain the truth about flying.

"That is why I don't want to fly... When I was in Descensum, I lost my connection to the earth and the livin'. It was taken from me. That life force was gone, it jus' didn't exist anymore cos there was no life there. I don't want to feel that again. T' be without it. I don't want to feel like I did when I was dead... Not again. Not so soon..."

"Oh my God." Cordelia whispered, finally understanding what Misty had been trying to express.

Cordelia was aware of her own strange emptiness and loss without the push and pull of the earth's energies and the network of living things anymore and she'd only been given a taste of it after over 30 years of being oblivious to its existence. She couldn't imagine how painful it would be to lose that after living with it for all of her life. For Misty it must be like losing one of her senses, as disorienting and devastating as going blind or deaf. Cordelia completely understood Misty associating that loss of herself with being dead.

"I don't want you to feel that." Cordelia whispered, realising tears were falling from her cheeks again.

Misty started crying too, because Cordelia understanding what it would be like for her and the sacrifice she would be making was the most relieving feeling. Simply the fact the she was heard and she was held, was enough for her to feel a small amount of peace.

Misty smiled wetly at Cordelia while she sighed in resignation.

"I don't wanna do this..."

"You're going to try?"

"I guess once I get on, there is no gettin' off, so even if I just try, I'll have to see it through to the end."

"I wish you didn't have to, I wish there was a way around this where you won't have to lose so much. It's the fastest way to get back home to our coven and the thought of you leaving now that I've just gotten you back... It fills me with fear and pain."

Cordelia placed another kiss to Misty's forehead, then to her temple, then to her cheek, then to her nose and finally to her mouth.

Misty leant into the kiss with want and whimpered. Cordelia had to break away with a sigh. Once again, realising that when she's with this woman, time becomes a trivial thing and they had taken too much from their sisters already to allow their desires to take more.

"Our sisters are waiting outside..." Cordelia explained.

Misty pouted and let out a huff. "I know. But we sure as hell are gonna lock ourselves in your room from sunrise to moonset once we get to Miss Robichaux’s."

Cordelia felt a fire ignite low in her belly at such an incredible prospect and a wide smile spread over her lips, lowering her head to look flirtily up at Misty through her lashes.

"Deal."

Leaning back in to kiss Misty again, Cordelia then slid her legs off the bed and stood up, turning to offer her hand to Misty and remembering something that she'd noted earlier.

"You called me baby." Cordelia said with a cheeky smile as Misty stood up next to her.

"I did?! When?" Misty asked, taken aback, with surprise slapped over her face.

"Earlier when you were yelling at me." Cordelia chuckled. "I liked it."

Misty smirked back at Cordelia.

"Okay baby..." Pulling her in for a kiss again then pulling back with a wrinkled nose. "I really called you that?" Shaking her curly-haired head in admonishment before sighing and looking down. "Okay let's go get on a plane...“

Cordelia brought Misty's focus up to her face with a finger under her chin.

"Hey. I will be with you every step of the way."

Misty's eyes brimmed with tears as the reality of what she was about to sacrifice threw fear into her veins. Nodding once, she pulled from Cordelia and stepped aside to let her Supreme go ahead.

Cordelia reached for Misty's hand, holding it tight and smiling softly at her love, trying to convey all the protection and warmth she had before squeezing it briefly and letting go, marching to the door, opening it with a wave of her hand and passing through.

"We're ready to get on an aeroplane." Cordelia said to her coven with determination for both Misty and herself. "Let's go home."

 

\--------------

 

As their car pulled away from the large black spiral sculpture that was the only discerning above ground feature of Hawthorn School, even with all of her apprehension for the flight; Misty couldn't help but feel relieved that she was going home, away from that boy and his sickly smell of death.


	4. Where the Air is Thin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misty braves the flight home, but too much is asked of her so soon and Cordelia feels her heart break for the woman she loves and the suffering she endures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this took way too long to get to you all.  
> My life has been more dramatic and more hectic than a season of AHS. Not the way I like it. But I'm just going with the flow and trying to make it work. 
> 
> Please know I am constantly thinking of these two and writing bits and pieces for the next chapter and for ten chapters in the future. I am just waiting for work and life and all the excitement of being an artsy hippie in a travelling festival where so much is happening every day and night to die down.  
> That might be wishful thinking.
> 
> But rest assured I have my documents open on my phone and I work on this story everyday. Just like a snail.
> 
> I hope your hearts feel when reading this all that mine felt when writing it. <3

\--------------

The drive in the limousine to the small airfield was short but filled with chatter as Zoe and Queenie recounted for Misty about Miss Robichaux's and all the changes that had happened in the world since the week after Misty had died and Cordelia outed the witches.

Misty had looked at Cordelia sitting across from her with fear and confusion at that announcement from Queenie.

"Oh damn you shoulda seen her speech! It was so badass. I don't know about the rest of these guys, but I had tears in my eyes."

"The world knows about witches now?!" Misty asked, alarmed, far too familiar with the far and barbarism that can result from such a title. 

"Yea girl! And we have so many more sister witches living in Miss Robichaux's and a bunch of other houses around Louisiana, aswell as connections to old and new covens all around the world!" Queenie said excitedly as she bounced in her seat next to Misty, a broad smile on her face. "Nobody dares fuck with us these days." She finished proudly. 

Misty smiled in response to Queenie's genuine happiness, it was so warming to see her so full of purpose and family in comparison to the walls and anger she had when Fiona was supreme. But more witches in their home? And more homes in their coven? And more covens around the world? Misty felt like she was a tiny fish dumped in an awfully big swamp and there was so much to navigate now. She looked down at her hands and started spinning one of the rings on her fingers with anxiety.

Zoe picked up on Misty's distress and commented. 

"Honestly, not much has changed for us in terms of privacy. I feel we have more protection now because we are recognised by law and that helps keep trouble makers away. But we've also had more practised witches reach out to us and share teachings, texts, and knowledge. We've grown a lot in our powers and we have ward spells cast around our houses to turn people around that don't belong or that aren't welcome. Life is really good, it's easy compared to the way things were before. We're a family and Queenie and I love our teaching and- Oh, just trust me Misty, it's different, but it's so good, you're gonna love it."

Misty still looked shaken, but Cordelia could tell that she was definitely curious about the changes and advancements they'd made.

"I'll show you the interview when we get home." Cordelia said, placing a hand on Misty's knee in comfort and giving a gentle squeeze for assurance. "It'll help you to understand the mood of it and also the way it was recieved."

Misty nodded and looked back down at her ring with a forrowed brow.

Cordelia could tell that Misty was becoming overwhelmed again with the way her world had changed so dramatically and all she wanted to do was move over to her and cradle her in her arms, stroking her hair and whispering words of comfort until she felt calm and safe.

A thought occurred to Cordelia in that moment and she accessed her concillium powers to send Misty some comfort. A vibe that warmth, love, relaxation and ease are close.

Misty's shoulders relaxed visibly and then her head sprung up to look at Cordelia, giving her a loving smile as she realised what her lover had just communicated.  
Cordelia dropped her head and offered a coy smile back, blinking at Misty through her eyelashes, causing the younger woman to blush and look down, smiling coquettishly, dimples hollowing adorably.

For the rest of the ride Zoe and Queenie, instead of sharing updates from the world, told Misty about how the Academy had changed. Little things that wouldn't spook her, but make her feel intrigued and so she'd be at ease when she encountered them at home.

Cordelia had a moment of appreciation for who Queenie and Zoe had become. She was so grateful that the girls had grown to now be the type of people to notice Misty's anxiety and support her.

As the limo pulled up in the hangar next to their small jet, Cordelia couldn't help but feel relief that they would soon be settled on the plane and Misty was just that little bit closer to being home. She looked across at her curly-haired beauty and smiled warmly. Misty tried to return the smile, but it didn't quite reach her frightened blue eyes.

Cordelia's heart hurt for the beautiful woman and she turned her head to nod to Myrtle, silently encouraging her to exit the limo.

"Come on then my little birds, homeward bound." The red head called over her shoulder as she opened the door, understanding Cordelia's wish and motioning for Zoe and Queenie to follow.

As soon as they were alone, Cordelia leant forward and put her hand on Misty's knee.

"Hey, you're going to be all right. I'll be there with you the whole time. I promise."

"I dunno if I can do this after all..." Misty said, looking out the window at the small private plane and shaking her head nervously.

Looking out the heavily tinted window herself, seeing that the albino brothers had brought the steps down on their jet and her sisters were boarding, Cordelia crossed over to sit next to Misty, wrapping her arms around, and pulling her lover against her. She thread her hands in Misty's hair, stroking and placing a kiss in her curly locks, humming as she did so.

"You're going to be fine my love. It'll be over before you know it." Cordelia said gently.

Misty took a deep breath and sighed, leaning into Cordelia's arms and turning her head to bury her face against her Supreme's blouse. Misty hummed as she inhaled Cordelia's smell and let her body relax, falling limp against the woman she loved, not wanting to leave the safety of such a feeling.

Cordelia chuckled softly against Misty's dead-weight, appreciating that her swamp witch didn't want to leave.

"Oh that's not fair..." Cordelia sighed, smiling.

Misty hummed again and then giggled, twisting her head into Cordelia's shoulder, nosing at her like a cat and sliding her body against Cordelia's in a similarly feline movement as she twisted to drape a leg over Cordelia's and fall against her once more, sighing contentedly.

Cordelia's heart wanted nothing more than to give Misty an out from flying, especially one where they could simply stay like this, wrapped in each other's arms without care for time or obligations. But her mind was telling her they needed to get on the jet and the protective side of her was conflicted against asking Misty to move.

"You sure know how to play a girl..." Cordelia sighed, a lift on her lips. 

Misty giggled against Cordelia's chest and buried her face lower, nuzzling between her breasts and sliding the leg that was over her up and down, rolling her hips as she did so causing Cordelia's body to react traitorously to Misty's movements.

"Oh no you don't!" Cordelia huffed as her belly dropped in arousal and she dug her knuckles into Misty's sides, tickling her and making the younger woman yelp and squirm away. As Misty crawled to safety down the limo, she sat down in a frump turning her head over her shoulder to give Cordelia a look of indignation, also too similar to a cat.

"That's what you get for playing dirty." Cordelia chuckled.

"Oh you jus' wait for me t' play dirty..." Misty said, dropping her voice and her gaze as she raked her eyes over Cordelia's reclined, slender form.

Cordelia took a sharp intake of breath as she felt a rush of arousal at Misty's inflection and connotation.

"Let's get on the jet then." Cordelia said coyly. "The sooner we get on, the sooner we get off..."

Misty blushed at Cordelia's double entendre and then groaned as she resigned herself to getting out of the limousine.

"You'll be next to me the whole time?" She asked, the genuine need to not be alone through this experience evident in her voice. 

"The whole time." Cordelia replied with earnesty.

Misty sighed and held her hand out to Cordelia to move up the limo to her. As the Supreme slid towards her and took her hand, Misty brought her close and placed her hands on both sides of Cordelia's face, kissing her deeply. Cordelia melted into the kiss, realising it had been over an hour since she had last gotten to do so and made a resolution to not deny herself such a pleasure for so long ever again.

"I love you." Misty said breathlessly as she broke from the kiss and hugged Cordelia tight.

"I love you too." Cordelia said with her whole heart and added soothingly. "Within four hours we'll be home."

Misty sighed again, nodding in determination and pulled herself out of the limousine. Cordelia followed quickly behind, touching Misty's elbow gently as she moved around the apprehensive woman who was staring at the small jet plane and smiled.

"Follow me." Cordelia said kindly, not wanting her traumatised lover to feel the pressure of being shepherded into the jet, so she walked up the steps ahead of her to stand in the door, holding her hand down to Misty in a gesture of warm welcome.

Misty's determination seemed to flounder and fade as she took the steps shakily and entered the small aircraft.

Zoe had been standing in the aisle, waiting for Misty to board the jet, leaning against the chair in front of where Queenie was seated on the right at the front, chatting to her. Seeing Misty arrive, she walked up to her and held out both her hands.

Misty raised her eyebrows, looked at Zoe, down at her hands, to Cordelia, back to Zoe's hands and then up to her face again, and placed her hands in Zoe's with trust.

Zoe smiled genially at the obviously on edge witch, happy and grateful for the trust.

"I just wanted to say that we're all here for you Misty. I want you to know that. You've probably picked up that things have changed in our coven since Cordelia has become our Supreme." She said looking to Cordelia and smiling gratefully. "With Cordelia as our leader, we have become a family unit, we are closer now and we support each other openly. It's very different to the way things were when you were with us last." She chuckled and quirked her lips looking to the side in memory. "So if there is anything I can do to make this easier, just ask. And the same goes for anything, anytime. There is no judgement here now, only understanding and compassion and helping each other through." She finished warmly.

Cordelia beamed at Zoe, as her heart fluttered with pride for how strong they had all become by lifting each other up instead of the belittling and competition that had reigned during her mother's time as the Supreme.

Misty seemed to be full of similar relief and comfort hearing Zoe's words.

"Thank you, Zoe. That means so much to me to hear." Misty said, throwing her arms around the young witch in a hug.

Zoe laughed at Misty's animation and after returning the hug, she pulled back smiling genuinely. "You're safe with us. Absolutely anything you need okay? Just ask." 

She squeezed Misty's hands and dropped them, moving to the side and sitting at the front of the plane with Queenie. Queenie then stood up and wrapped Misty in a tight hug, smiling affectionately and nodding silently at her, knowing Zoe had said everything for the both of them, then sitting back down and turned to Zoe, continuing their talk about Hawthorne's.

The jet was modern and had spacious seating, the arrangement on the right of the aisle at the front had four leather lounge seats, two facing two others over a small waist-height communal table, with three more exact arrangements up the right side of the jet. On the left there were two leather armchairs facing each other over a larger, lower table, this seating had three more arrangements up the left of the jet, in line with the sets of seating on the opposite side.

Cordelia thought some privacy would be a relief for Misty's anxiety, so she walked past Zoe and Queenie at the front on the right, past where Myrtle was sitting in the second set of singular facing seats on the left, her nose already in a book; 'New Erotica for Feminists', and walked to the back of the small jet, standing by the last seats on the right, turning to Misty.

"Sit wherever you like." Cordelia said, smiling. "Aisle, window, facing the front or facing the back. "

Misty looked at the four seats, completely at a loss for understanding the benefits and disadvantages of any option. 

"What do you think?"

"I think you'll enjoy the window, the views can be quite breathtaking. Maybe face the front of the plane though, sometimes travelling backwards can be queazier on the stomach." Cordelia offered kindly, gently touching Misty's shoulder and smiling at her again, trying to make this as easy an experience as possible for the woman she felt so deeply for.

Misty offered an attempt at a smile before realising she was not convincing either of them, dropping her eyes nervously and moving into the seat, falling into the lounge-style chair. Bouncing a few times, and looking down at the seat, surprised by the comfort, she settled on the edge of it, spinning her rings and fiddling with her shawl anxiously.

Cordelia smiled at the antics of her adorable swamp witch and turned to the front of the plane where one of the brothers had lifted the stairs, closed the door and was standing, respectfully, waiting. She nodded at him and he returned the movement before turning and disappearing behind the curtain separating the cabin from the cockpit. Cordelia then retrieved her bag from one of the chairs a few rows down where it had been brought onto the jet for her. Pulling out a small stylised crossword book and some old texts from the late seventeenth-century that she had been sent by a new connection from a coven in Lynn, Massachusetts. Returning to their seats, she heard the whirring and clicking of the jet coming to life.

"Oh my god..." Misty breathed as the engines started up beneath them, making the plane vibrate and hum. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god." Looking at Cordelia with wild eyes just as she slid into the spacious seat opposite her. "I can't do this, I can't Cordelia, please I'll find my own way home, please let me off, I d-"

"Hey, hey, hey." Cordelia said in a calming tone, placing the books on the low table in front of them and immediately getting up to move around the table, sitting next to Misty, her chest constricting upon seeing the pleading look in her blue eyes. "I'm going to be right here. Hold my hand, you can squeeze as hard as you need." Cordelia said earnestly. She was moving her hand to reach for Misty's when the engines kicked up a gear and the noise in the cabin got louder, the vibrations stronger and Misty grabbed Cordelia's knee in fear. 

"Make me sleep!" Misty said suddenly.

"What?" Cordelia asked, shocked by the sudden change in request.

"Put me to sleep!" Misty said enthusiastically, relief evident in her voice as if she'd found an answer to such a dreadful experience. "I know you can. I don't want to go through this. Please jus' make me sleep."

"You want me to coerce you into sleep? I don't know if I can do that Misty..."

"You know you can."

"I mean that I don't know if I want to..."

"Please... Miss Cordelia..."

"Misty..." Cordelia said apprehensively, not wanting to use magic on Misty unnecessarily. "Why don't you just see how you go first?" She offered gently. 

Misty shook her head in fear and as her soft curls and feathers flicked lightly against her face, Cordelia thought quietly about just how beautiful a woman Misty was. 

"You can do this, you're going to be okay. It'll be over in less than four hours. If you're really not doing well, I promise you, I will put you to sleep." Cordelia said truthfully.

Misty swallowed dryly and let go of Cordelia's knee where she had been gripping it tightly. Cordelia reached for Misty's hand and clasped it, squeezing intently. Glancing down the plane to see that no one could see them, she lent into Misty and placed a kiss on her cheek, nuzzling into her neck and whispering.  
"You've got this." 

Misty turned to Cordelia's face and brought the hand that wasn't in Cordelia's to thread through her hair and pull her into a desperate kiss. 

Cordelia could feel the fear and heartache in Misty's actions, being gripped so tightly and drawn in so firmly. The kiss becoming heated and feverish as the jet started moving forward out of the hangar with Misty frantically trying to pull comfort from Cordelia.

Cordelia's body responded to Misty's movements and she felt her arousal spike as her lungs began screaming for air. Pulling her mouth away, only to be assaulted by Misty's lips on her chin and neck as she lifted her head above the suffocation to breathe.

"Misty..." She whispered desperately to the ceiling, knowing this distraction wasn't healthy and not wanting to confuse Misty's panic with their lust for each other.

"Misty..." Cordelia tried again, moving her hands to push gently on the fretful woman's shoulders. Misty pushed against Cordelia harder and grabbed one of Cordelia's hands, sliding it to her breast, squeezing over both their hands and moaned against Cordelia's neck as she sucked on the skin there. 

Cordelia gasped, her head foggy with desire. 

"Misty, I want to touch you more than anything at the moment." She hushed quietly. "But this isn't the way to deal with your fear."

Pulling her hand away from Misty's breast, beginning to get lost in the delicious sensations Misty was creating with her tongue on her neck, Cordelia felt another rush of arousal and she squeezed her legs together tightly.

Misty grabbed Cordelia's hand from the air where she pulled from her and brought it down between her legs to push down hard over her dress against her crotch where she rolled her hips and shuddered, whimpering softly into Cordelia's ear. 

"Please Miss... Make me feel better..."

Cordelia groaned at the desperation and desire in Misty's voice, but alarm bells rang in her head and she pulled her hand away from Misty and pushed firmly against her shoulders again, successfully giving them space, both looking at each other through lidded eyes, trying to keep their panting quiet. 

"Misty, please, stop. You aren't in the right headspace." Cordelia whispered breathlessly. "I love you so much and I want to make you feel better, but you can't give consent right now through this panic and sex isn't the way to handle what's happening..."

Misty quickly came back to herself, the frenzy lifting as she realised how she'd been acting and tears immediately welled up in her eyes. 

"Oh my god... Cordelia.... I'm sorry. Oh my god I'm so sorry."

As Misty began to cry, Cordelia's heart broke and she pulled her beautiful woman into a hug. 

"Hey it's okay, it's completely okay." 

"No it's not, I wasn't listenin' to you n' I forced you to..." She froze against her Supreme, horrified. 

"Hey, it's alright. We're okay, I'm okay. I love you. I love touching you and love touching you like that. I just want you to be safe, to feel safe, when we do touch each other. Always." 

Misty simply cried against Cordelia as she comforted the distraught witch, stroking her hair and running soft circles on her arm. She glanced down the aisle, thankfully the noise of the plane seemed to have covered their desperate movements and her coven were oblivious to the sexual show that had almost gotten to the point of welcoming Cordelia and Misty to the mile high club. As much as that idea sent electricity through her body, Cordelia couldn't help feeling unsettled, her chest constricting uncomfortably at how distressed Misty is about flying. As if reading her mind, Misty took a deep breath and whispered in confession. 

"I hate this, we haven't even left the ground n' I already feel so untethered n' unbalanced."

"I'm so sorry that you're going through this stressful experience so soon after coming back." Cordelia said honestly. "You were gone for years and this awful thing is asked of you within hours of your return... I hate it too. I wish there was another way to get you home as quickly as possible..."

They were both silent as Cordelia continued to trace comforting patterns along Misty's shoulders and down her arms as the jet turned on the tarmac to face the runway, Cordelia looking out the window and seeing they were about to take off. 

"Okay, we're about to get a little bumpy and louder, it's completely normal, but it's a safety precaution to put our seatbelts on for the take off." Cordelia said softly as she shifted against Misty to find her seatbelt. 

Misty pulled back reluctantly and took a nervous look out the window before looking down to the strap Cordelia was holding out for her in her hand. 

"The other side of the belt is tucked by your hip." 

Cordelia indicated to Misty's left side. The younger witch found the strap and brought the two ends in front of her, looking at them with a frown, unsure exactly how the strange looking metal buckles worked. 

"Put them together like this." Showing Misty how to lock the buckle together using her own belt, Cordelia smiled warmly at her when the apprehensive woman successfully copied her just as the jet began to make its way down the runway. 

Cordelia pulled Misty back into her arms as the jet picked up speed, the hull beginning to rattle, the vibrations doubling and the noise increasing. 

"I'm right here with you. You're not alone. I'll be here the whole time."

Misty had her head tucked under her Supreme's chin and Cordelia could feel her shaking like a leaf beneath her arms.

"I know you don't want to be up in the air, and it may be a reminder of not being on the ground, but have look out the window, the views can be breathtaking." Cordelia whispered into Misty's hair, placing a kiss on her head.. 

The jet hit its fastest speed on the tarmac and had neared the end of the runway when Misty hesitantly removed her head from its safety against Cordelia's side and looked out the window to catch the lift off just in time.

"Huh" Misty let out, bringing her hand to her stomach and looking down at it as the weightlessness hit her, the frown returning to her brow.

"It's completely normal." Cordelia assured, as the jet climbed in the sky, the ground quickly disappearing out the window and she motioned to the patchwork quilt of northern farmland. "Look." 

Misty looked up at Cordelia, her expression still confused by the sensations of her body in the air, and then looked out the window where her features fell blank at such a sight. 

Cordelia relaxed a little as Misty pulled away to move closer to the window, her fear forgotten as she looked down on the earth below.

"I feel like a bird..." She said, mesmerised. "This is what they see...?"

Cordelia felt her heart flutter at the purity and beauty that Misty was, no longer able to see her face as she was turned fully to the window, she smiled at the back of the earth witch's curly haired head with love.

"Oh... My god!" Misty let out in a rush, pressing her face against the tiny perspex window and then pulling back to look to Cordelia with the most incredible smile of awe spread wide across her face. Cordelia's face immediately lit up upon seeing such a look on her beautiful features after being so distraught moments before. 

Behind Misty, Cordelia could see the clouds whipping past as they passed through them, climbing in altitude. Turning her head back to look out the window, her eyebrows so high they were hidden in hercurly hair, Misty took in a shuddering breath of wonder.

Cordelia looked up the small plane and satisfied noone was paying Misty's awe any attention, she slid her hand over to intertwine her fingers with the beautiful swamp witch's ring clad ones.

Misty turned her head to Cordelia at the contact, her smile full of love as she lifted Cordelia's hand and added her other hand on top, squeezing and conveying with her eyes all the emotion she had.

Cordelia could see behind Misty that they were about to break through the tops of the cloud and she nodded towards the window encouragingly not wanting Misty to miss seeing that for the first time and the younger witch turned her head back to the window in time to see the jet burst through the clouds.

"Hohhhh..." Misty gasped, her hands dropping Cordelia's as she unbuckled her belt and turned fully, lost in the heavens. 

Cordelia smiled in relief and reached for her books, opening one of the texts and beginning to read. 

"It's... beautiful..." Misty said thickly after a few minutes. 

Cordelia looked up to see Misty's torso shaking slightly and realised that she was crying. 

"Hey..." Cordelia said, closing the book, putting her hand on Misty's knee and leaning forward to see tears silently streaking down her face.  
Misty sniffed at the contact and let out a joyous breath.

"It's jus' so beautiful Cordelia... I've never seen anythin' like it." Misty whispered as she continued staring out the window. 

Cordelia looked out to see a panorama of white fluffy mountains against a baliage of blues. Several turrets erupting here and there from the landscape forming mushroom clouds that looked like great white boabab trees in the sky. 

Cordelia melted at her lover's astonishing heart as she openly wept at the clouds. Her heart beating so boldly and fully for this woman who was so enthralled and governed by nature. She could only watch, love struck, gazing at the profile of such a woman's face as her right eye flittered around the woolly Shangri-La.

Cordelia unbuckled her own belt and shifted across in the large seat to sit behind where Misty was turned to the window, tucking her left leg up on the seat and draping her body over the younger woman's back, sneaking her arms under Misty's, hugging her waist and resting her chin on her love's shoulder as they both surveyed their own private heavens.

Misty wiped the tears from her face and placed her hands over Cordelia's against her stomach, sighing. 

"I never could have imagined this sight... Misty whispered. "I want to float in it, swim in it... Dance in it..." 

Misty lifted her right hand off of Cordelia's and placed it on the perspex. Cordelia felt Misty's body tense and then droop as the wild woman was brought back from her peaceful reverie and reminded of the cage she was in. She dropped her head to look down, taking a deep breath and let out a loaded sigh. Cordelia, acknowledging Misty's uncomfortable return to reality, nuzzled into her hair and placed kisses of comfort against her neck.

"I can't feel any of it 'Delia... The earth is gone... It's suffocatin'. I feel like a fish outta water... Desperate to return to where it can breathe." Misty said, tears spilling forth again, this time out of loss rather than beauty. 

She sighed again and turned in Cordelia's arms to put her back to the window and bury her head in Cordelia's shoulder, happy to hide in the darkness there.

After a few minutes of being still in her arms, where Cordelia simply held her lover, dancing her fingertips over her back in reassuring patterns, she noticed Misty's breathing becoming a bit irregular. A little concerned, she brought her hands up to Misty's hair and ran her fingers through the strands, laying them over the younger woman's shoulder so she could tuck her head back and look at Misty's face.

Misty twisted away from the touch restlessly, her face a picture of revulsion, surprising Cordelia and sending a small pang of rejection through her chest before Misty then sat upright, dropped her shawl behind her and moved to sit on the edge of the seat. Eyes closed, head dropped, holding her stomach and as she breathed through her mouth; Cordelia finally understood what was going on just as the nauseas woman spoke.

"I ain't feelin' so good 'Delia..."

"Okay." Cordelia prepared, turning her head to look down the plane and then behind them to check that the bathroom was free. "I can get you a bag or we can go to the bathroom." 

Misty just grunted, nodding her head and slapped a hand over her mouth as she willed herself not to throw up over the table. 

"Ohhkay, follow me." Cordelia said astutely, rising from her seat quickly and helping Misty up, rubbing light circles between her shoulder blades as she guided her to the bathroom. Telekinetically opening the door and moving hastily into the spacious, white porcelain and dark wood finish bathroom. Cordelia deposited Misty on a small wooden bench against one wall next to a small spa bath and speedily retrieved a black bucket from one of the cupboards with her powers, bringing it to Misty's lap where the queasy woman immediately grabbed and vomited into it.

"Oh Misty." Cordelia said gently, lifting her curly, feather-hung hair from her face, and holding it behind her neck as she sat next to her on the bench, continuing the soothing circles with her other hand. 

"I'm so sorry..." 

There was a light knock on the door as Misty regurgitated into the bucket again, tears streaming from her eyes and Cordelia looked up to see Myrtle looking forlornly at the scene.

"Is there anything I can do to ease our brave sister's affliction?" 

Cordelia gave Myrtle a look of thankful heartache, attempting a grateful smile before looking at Misty as the wild woman's shoulders dropped and her torso heaved, coughing as the third deposit of semi-digested fries forced past her oesophagus. 

Placing a kiss against Misty's head, Cordelia then turned back to her old friend. 

"Thank you Myrtle." Cordelia said, rubbing Misty's back. "I have some tinctures in my bag. Would you fetch my vial case from it for me please?" 

"Ofcourse dear." 

Cordelia turned back to Misty who was breathing heavily into the bucket, shaking it beneath her as she gripped it with trembling white knuckles.

"You're doing so good Misty." Cordelia said comfortingly.

Misty snorted in obvious disagreement before retching, taking a shuddering breath and expelling into the bucket, spitting out the foulness afterwards. 

Cordelia could feel Misty's body shaking beneath her hands and concern creased her brow as Misty's body pitched forward yet again, all solidity previously evacuated as she threw up watery bile.

Misty's skin had turned cold and sweaty very quickly and the intensity of her vomiting was worrying Cordelia. She brought her hand to Misty's clammy forehead and took in a sharp breath at the heat she felt there. 

Floating a facecloth from the cupboard with her telekinesis and dropping it in the sink, turning the cold on to soak it just as Myrtle entered the room and Misty's head dove forward, bringing up only stomach acid.

"She's burning up." Cordelia said to her, worry clear in her tone.

The red head nodded and silently placed the vial case in Cordelia's hand before turning to the sink to finishing prepping the cloth. 

Misty barely had time to catch her breath before her stomach disgorged and more liquid splashed into the bucket. She gasped for air, groaning and spat residue bile from her mouth. "I feel cold." She said breathlessly. "Like I'm missin' layers of skin..." She spat again, trying to rid herself of the offensive taste. "I can't feel the earth any more, I can't feel any of it, I don-" 

Misty wasn't able to finish as her abdomen constricted again and her head dropped below the bucket rim for the eighth time in only a few minutes. 

Myrtle approached Misty as she vomitted, placing the cool cloth on her forehead and took the younger witch's curly hair from Cordelia so she could open the small leather case in her hand.

"Misty, I'm going to give you a ginger and peppermint tincture, I brewed it, it's completely natural and will help calm your stomach."

"I don't think I can take anythin' riiigh-" Misty retched into the bucket violently, stomach acid burning her nose on it's way out. 

"You've lost a lot of fluid awfully fast and your temperature is worrying us chickadee..." Myrtle said warmly. 

Cordelia nodded in agreement as she pulled the slim vial from the case and added. "We need to get your stomach settled so you can drink some you water." 

"I don't like this." Misty whimpered, beginning to cry, shaking her head, her eyes slammed closed as the pressure with which she had been sick had caused bile to lay in her sinuses and make them sting. 

"I know baby, but we need to calm your nervous system and this will help a lot." Cordelia replied, clearly worried. 

Misty was beginning to panic, becoming overwhelmed with being unable to stop being sick to breathe, feeling detached and weak without the heartbeat of the earth that had been with her since birth. "Can we go back? I jus' want out. Please let me ou-"

Misty's diaphragm clenched and she vomited again, no contents left to come out but a dribble of acid, causing her to gag and cough against nothing, her body shaking disturbingly and her face pale. 

"Please take this Misty. It will help. Trust me." Cordelia worried firmly, uncorking the vial and holding it next to the bucket in encouragement. "This is more than just air sickness. We need to stop your vomitting and get some fluids into you." 

Too much was being asked of Misty and she began to shake more violently, going into shock with the depletion in so many areas of her body. 

"Please, just let me out. Please! I just want some air." She said faintly, tears streaming down her face, bringing her head up to look pleadingly at Cordelia, eyes rolling a little as her head swam, making the Supreme's chest tighten with fear for how white and bloodless her lover had gone.

Cordelia was about to push the vial once more when two things happened at once; Misty retched into the bucket and her right arm, closest to Cordelia, flickered across space. 

The three women froze, Cordelia gasping, all of them unsure for a moment what had just happened. 

Misty's eyes were wide on her sweat and tear covered face as she looked down at her arm where it was no longer holding the bucket but held out away from her in the air. Then suddenly it disappeared and reappeared with a blur about five inches to the left. 

"'Delia she's displacing!" Myrtle said urgently, snatching the bucket from the confused swamp witch and pulling her Supreme up off the bench roughly, the vial knocking from Cordelia' s hand and smashing on the floor.

In the eerie moment of silence that followed, Misty sat there staring at her arm with fear, before she transmuted again, this time her whole body disappearing and reappearing on the bench, jumping in space and she doubled over, her empty stomach surging on nothing. 

"Misty!" Cordelia said in a mixture of shock and warning. 

"Cordelia?" Misty asked meekly, shaking and looking up at her helplessly, fear and confusion evident in her voice and face.

"Misty stop! This is so dangerous!" Cordelia said tersely, not thinking through her immediate fear, not able to comprehend that Misty wasn't able to control her powers in this moment. 

"I d-" Misty started, before she disappeared and reappeared on the other side of the room, stumbling into the open cupboard, knocking things from their shelves and disappearing again to reappear falling into the sink.

"MISTY STOP!" Cordelia screamed, terrified, rushing to her lover as Misty clutched at the basin for support.

"'Delia no!" Myrtle said, grabbing Cordelia' s arm and holding her back. "It's too dangerous!" 

Cordelia only had time in Myrtle's grasp to see Misty's ashen face turning to her, afraid and pleading, before she transmuted, disappearing from the bathroom altogether. 

Cordelia froze, heart hanging in her throat, unable to breathe, panic in every fibre as her mind sounded with alarm that they were in a jet flying forty-one thousand feet from the earth...

Suddenly a scream from Zoe reached them from the cabin and Cordelia's lungs rushed with air in hope. Spinning to the door, she rushed out of the bathroom, accessing her concilium, reaching out with her mind and feeling the sheer terror and unbalance within Misty for a moment, holding onto the terrified woman's mind, just as she spotted her with her eyes falling through the air at the front seats and Cordelia screamed down the plane. 

"ET NUNC AD SOMNUM!"

Cordelia could only watch numbly as Misty's body collapsed unconsciously over one of the chairs and fell in a crumpled heap in the aisle. Rushing to her, Cordelia sunk to her knees, pulling the woman she loved into her arms as all the fear that had been held in her chest and throat released in a wave of tears. Rocking Misty's sleeping body in her arms she silently thanked all that there was that she had been able to stop Misty's displacement before... 

Cordelia sobbed, planting kisses in her hair as she held tight to the woman she almost lost again.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. Misty..." 

Zoe and Queenie were standing in the aisle, looking down at Cordelia crying, cradling the unconscious woman in her arms, both girls with looks of shock on their faces at Misty's sudden appearance and the immediate emergency that had followed. 

"'Delia..." Myrtle said gently in relief as she approached behind Cordelia and saw Misty safe inside the jet.  
Cordelia lifted her head from where it was buried in her lover's hair and twisted her head to look up at Myrtle, tears running down her cheeks. 

"Myrtle..." She sobbed. "I almost lost her. Oh my god. I almost lost her again..."

"Shhhhh little dove..." Myrtle comforted as she knelt down and placed a hand soothingly on Cordelia's shoulder. 

"She almost... She could of..." Cordelia couldn't say it aloud as the possibilities became too thick in her throat to speak. 

"Do not fret on what did not come to pass. Our sister is safe now 'Delia. You saved her." She stroked Misty's curly haired head, Cordelia sobbing beside her. Though Myrtle knew too well it was truly a phenomenon that Misty was unharmed. 

"What happened?" Queenie asked tentatively.

"Our dear Misty went through great stress just now, vomitting her feeble stomach contents out in the bathroom." Myrtle answered as she stroked Misty's cheek and looked down with grateful affection at the brilliant young woman who gave her precious Cordelia such happiness. "It seems her infirmity, accompanied with her panic around her detachment from the earth, caused her nervous system to retaliate with displacement." 

"What's displacement?" Zoe asked Myrtle, kneeling by Misty's bent legs and placing a hand on her knee as she watched her Supreme continue to bury her tear stained face in Misty's hair. 

"Sometimes when witches suffer dire stress or trauma, their powers respond without their control, as if they were in a flight or fight situation." Myrtle replied, looking up at Zoe and Queenie sadly. "A defense mechanism per se, but one that can be very dangerous. A not inaccurate analogy would be a surge of voltage in an electrical circuit creating a system overload or glitch." Myrtle grimaced. "When this happens to a witch's transmutation powers it can be fatal. The act of transmutation 'glitching' and displacing, as it were, is known as displacement."

"Is the 'system overload' like when some witches first discover their powers and they don't know they're witches; they get triggered randomly and go haywire?" Queenie asked from above Zoe. 

"Very much so." Myrtle nodded. "In both cases there is usually an element of fear or a sense of a loss of control that aggravates such a stress-response."

There was silence as the three women watched Cordelia crying into Misty's hair. 

After a while Cordelia's tears abated and she wiped the dampness from her cheeks with the back of her hand.  
Cordelia looked up at her coven apologetically. "I was so scared..."

"You were not alone in your fear, my dear." Myrtle said honestly, holding Cordelia's face and placing a kiss to the the side of her head. "Come, let's get you and this darling gem settled a tad more comfortably."

Myrtle stood and accessed her powers, taking Misty's weight and lifting her gently off the floor an inch, just enough to encourage movement from Cordelia, holding her hand down to the woman that she loved like a daughter. 

Cordelia detangled herself from Misty reluctantly but carefully, taking Myrtle's hand and allowing her slender form to be pulled from her awkward position on the floor. She immediately pulled herself into Myrtle's arms and wrapped her old friend in a loaded hug. 

"Oh, my pet..." Myrtle soothed, hugging Cordelia tightly and patting her back softly. "The danger has passed. We will be home soon." 

Cordelia, pulled back smiling gratefully, sniffing and wiping her eyes again, turning to the girls, nodding thankfully and turning to walk up the aisle, back to her seat. 

Myrtle brought Misty's body to the aisle chair facing the rear of the plane and settled her into it, reclining it with her powers so Misty was lying reposed. 

Cordelia thanked Myrtle with a squeeze of her hand and a small smile before taking the seat opposite Misty. As Myrtle returned the smile and moved back to her own seat, Cordelia closed her eyes with a sigh and let her body fall limp as she felt her exhaustion hit like a hot flush.

Fluttering her eyes open, she looked across at the woman she had fallen in love with and who she was quickly falling head over heals with so much more for.

"Oh Misty..." She whispered, feeling the emotion well in her eyes as the weight of what just happened hit her again.  
Taking a deep breath and brushing her tears aside with her fingers, Myrtle's encouraging words not to dwell on what could have been ringing around in her mind. 

Unable to stand being so far away from the sleeping woman, Cordelia reclined the chair beneath the window, next to Misty and using her telekinesis, lifted her lover into it to lay fetal, on her side, facing the now empty chair. Cordelia stood and moved around the table, crawling into the seat Misty had just been in, she tucked her body as close to the unconscious woman's as possible, laying her head to face Misty's beautiful features. 

Both in chairs facing the back of the plane, it gave Cordelia more privacy and she lifted her head to place a soft kiss against the wild blonde's forehead. 

"I love you." She whispered and stroked some of the curly strands from Misty's face. Threading her fingers through the swamp witch's gem covered hands, she let them rest in the dip of leather where the seats joined between their hearts. 

Cordelia thought to the distress she'd felt coming off of Misty just after the bathroom and wondered whether Misty's nervous-system had calmed. Taking a deep breath in, preparing for the unknown, Cordelia reached into Misty's mind with concilium and felt the anguish that had been there before, only now significantly dulled. There was a numbness to Misty's distress now and had Cordelia not been aware of what had happened only minutes before, it would have come across simply as restlessness. But the warmth, the effulgence, the strength, the depth that was Misty was no longer there. The safety and love Cordelia had felt when resting within Misty's mind earlier in the day was numbed too and she felt a great loss for not being able to be with the Misty that was concious, woke and full of so much emotion and profundity. 

Cordelia thought how life just seemed to always get in their way and steel time from them, maybe that's why whenever they are together they take up so much of everyone else's. 

Feeling less guilty about making her coven wait for them both at Hawthorne's, Cordelia was about to send warm thoughts and emotions of comfort to Misty, when she paused momentarily. Curiosity, to see and feel what the energy flow of life would look and feel like up here in the sky in comparison to the energies of the earth that Misty had shown her the in cavernous bedroom earlier, overtook her and she closed her eyes, allowing herself to fall into a meditative state. Wanting to understand how Misty's energy, her vitalum, was affected, Cordelia accessed her vitalum valis powers and tried to extend them the way the younger witch had showed her, letting her powers, her conciousness expand out across the jet as she attempted to tune into the energy flow of life all around. 

Cordelia immediately let in a gasp of mixed shock and sadness as the first thing she saw was Misty's energy, her lifeforce so thin and dispersed, like wisps of smoke fluttering hazily within her body. Cordelia felt her chest pull tight with anxiety seeing Misty like this in comparison to the centroidal, abundant, overflowing supply of life that she had been only a few hours before.

In Hawthorne's, Misty had been a sun, burning so bright it was dazzling, pneuma flowing like a cornucopia of life, giving, feeding; connected with all the living things in and of the earth around her. Now, laying unconscious next to Cordelia, Misty's energy was barely there, a vapour, shuddering around her body weakly, reverberating distressingly like a taught wire that had been hit with a steel rod and was trying to find its way back to peaceful alignment. Cordelia felt tears squeeze from her closed eyelids, for the woman she loved laying next to her; a shell of what she could be. 

Needing to sense something other than Misty's weakness, Cordelia tried to expand her vitalum valis to find Myrtle, Zoe or Queenie. Searching, looking, she could find nothing around but Misty's dull élan vital and her own. Cordelia made a mental note to ask Misty to teach her so that she would be able to see the plain of lifeforce energies on her own. 

She looked down at her own bright essence and then back to Misty's waning light. Keeping her eyes closed, Cordelia shifted her torso closer and placed her lips directly in front of Misty's and breathed life into her. 

What Cordelia saw, made her whole body tingle. Transferring life in the past, she'd only ever felt it. When she had resurrected Zoe, she had felt energy leaving her own body and felt Zoe's lifeforce flare into being. But since Misty had taught her... This was the first time she had seen the transaction and it was truly beautiful.

Pulling back, she watched golden flurries of glittering energy pass into the crease between Misty's lips. Taking a deeper pull of air, Cordelia breathed out life again, looking in awe at the tiny nebula of gilded vapour as it flowed between them. 

The faint, thin pneuma within Misty's body sparked and reacted to the sudden welcomed additions by swirling around Cordelia's gifted lifeforce and synthesising into a brighter vitality. Only marginally brighter, but brighter all the same.

Cordelia transferred life thrice more before the drain it caused her hit her and she became lightheaded. Letting go of her vitalum valis and watching the now slightly denser lights disappear, feeling the connection to Misty's spirit drop away, Cordelia returned to darkness. Keeping her eyes closed, she conciliumally reached out for Misty's mind, hoping there would be a change in the dull restlessness she had felt before the energy transfer. 

Images and emotions swum lazily through Misty's head and, once Cordelia had gotten over the shock of such business in comparison to the numbness of before, her heart welled with love as she realised that all of Misty's thoughts were of her. 

Memories popping up and floating away, melding into one another, creating a dialogue of smells, sights, sounds and feelings, all mixing together, all calming, joyous, exciting, lusting or loving, all positive, and all to do with Cordelia. She understood then that Misty's energy, her body, her mind, had recognised the origin of the lifeforce she had received.  
Cordelia hummed as the smell of belladonna flowers flowed into the sound of her own voice asking Misty: "Could you be any more beautiful?", swirling into the image of Cordelia, face scarred, blind, holding her hand out for Misty to take, dispersing into the feeling of nails raking down her back, melding into the sound of her own laughter and the feeling of a double high-five, fading into the sight of her own face full of disbelief and joy, lit by fire light as Misty opened her eyes, cascading into the taste of salty caramelised pears, gliding into her voice telling Misty, "You are the most incredible thing in the world", dissolving into the emotions of safety, happiness, love... And it continued, a rolling cannonade of thought revolving around the Supreme. 

Cordelia felt her heart flutter in her chest just as she felt a cold wetness on her upper lip, sliding to the right, down her face, towards the seat.

Feeling faint, Cordelia let go of Misty's mind, withdrawing conciliumally and opening her eyes, blinking against the light within the jet. Lifting her hand to wipe under her nose, she cursed under her breath as she pulled her hand away and saw the smear of blood along her fingers.

"Shit..."

Feeling another wave of infirmity hit and her vision blurring a little before clearing again, Cordelia realised she had expended herself enough. She took a deep breath, allowing herself to relax into the chair as she let out a long sigh, loaded with all the stress from the events of the flight. Gazing upon Misty's beautiful features, Cordelia felt herself dozing off to sleep, exhausted after the excitement of the last twenty-four hours, but content with the knowledge that, for now, her love's thoughts were peaceful and safe. 

 

\--------------

 

The rest of the flight home was uneventful. Cordelia had woken after twenty minutes, falling back into a restless slumber a few times, before she gave up on further rest and tried to read her books. A task proven impossible as she felt herself too distracted by Misty's unconscious form reclined in the seat next to her. Constantly looking to her sleeping face, she eventually gave up on focusing on anything but Misty and settled back into the position she'd been in earlier, lying, facing her love, hands resting together loosely in front of their hearts. Reaching up to check Misty's pulse at intervals and using concilium to check in, reaching within her mind, feeling the thoughts of herself had faded and the panic and distress gradually returning. She could feel Misty's restlessness building more quickly each time she checked in. 

Cordelia expanded her vitalum valis occasionally, finding Misty's energies had become anaemic once more. She could feel it, hear it, see it. Everytime she closed her eyes and focused on her lover's spirit. She gave energy only twice more throughout the journey, each time suffering from a blood nose and a lightness in her head afterwards, feeling drained and exhausted. 

Wanting desperately to share more lifeforce with the waning woman that she loved so much, but knowing her own energies were stretched thin, Cordelia felt the time drag by so that when the jet began to make its decent and its wheels finally touched down on the tarmac, she felt a tide of relief flood throughout her.

Once the jet had come to a halt on their small private runway just outside Boutte in Louisiana, Myrtle appeared next to Cordelia's chair holding two glasses of water. 

"How is our sleeping earth witch?" Myrtle asked kindly, holding a glass forward for Cordelia. 

"She's weak." Cordelia replied honestly, turning from Misty and sitting up in the seat, gratefully accepting the glass and taking a few sips with a sigh, closing her eyes. 

"It seems she is not the only one..." Myrtle pointed out, concern in her voice.

Cordelia opened her eyes, looking sheepishly up at her dear old friend. 

"You caught me." She said with an acknowledging smile. "This has been..." She thought over the last few days, Michael's disturbing presence, his egotistical displays of power, the warlocks misogyny, Misty's return, her own collapse, Misty and her confessions, their mind-blowing sex, learning to witnes the flow of lifeforce, Misty's nausea and displacement, the long flight... 

"A lot." Cordelia sighed. 

"It has been quite the ordeal... But in comparison to battles we have won in the past; it is a trifle." Myrtle replied truthfully, placing the second glass on the table and sitting opposite her Supreme. "We have gained a sister back that we thought lost forever and you have recieved..." Myrtle dipped her head to look at Cordelia over the top of her cat-eye glasses. "...A second chance?" She asked, with a knowing smile. 

Cordelia blushed, looking down at Misty, stroking her cheek and responding honestly. "A true love." Looking up at Myrtle with the most genuine smile lighting her features.

"Oh my dear!" Myrtle cried ecstatically upon hearing her surmising confirmed, throwing her gloved hands up in celebration. "Un amour parlé! Enfin!" She leant across the table, tears of joy springing in her eyes and gripped Cordelia's hand happily. "Yours will be a love for the history books my dear."

Myrtle withdrew her hands, smiling happily and lifted her glasses to wipe underneath her eyes. 

"This... Your happiness... It means so much to me to see 'Delia." She said earnestly. "I had hoped for the longest time you two would see what I saw: a chemistry so perfect it rivalled Karenina and Vronsky's, the Heathcliff's, Capulet and Montague's, Lund and Blaine's..." Myrtle had become animated again, her voice rising in splendour and she brought her vigor down again. "There is something about the two of you that simply makes sense..." 

Cordelia chuckled at her friend. "I felt so too to be honest. I felt this... chemistry... This... fire. From the moment I met her. It was instant and just so easy. She just made me feel good to be around. Liked, worthy, respected. I hadn't had much of that in my life. But, you know better than anyone alive; I didn't really have many friends growing up, Fiona always making sure no one was good enough in her own twisted ways. " Cordelia reflected sadly. "When Misty came into our coven, I thought maybe that was just what true friendship was like and I didn't know where Misty sat with her sexuality. I knew my feelings for her, they surprised me with how strong they were, how much I desired more than a platonic relationship... But I had no idea that Misty would resiprocate my interest in a romantic one, let alone be so responsive to a sexual one..." Cordelia said, thinking absent-mindedly to the incredible, orgasm filled activities they'd shared in the library. "Boy did I assume wrong on that one..."

Too late, Cordelia realised that she'd just, in a roundabout way, informed Myrtle that Misty and her had already had sex within the eight or so hours that Misty had been back and she felt her face heat up as she blushed profusely. 

Myrtle pursed her lips in a knowing smile and Cordelia let her mortification go, holding her fingers to her mouth in coy modesty as she giggled at herself, Myrtle joining her in the light laughter. 

After a few moments, Cordelia's facial features dropped with disquiet and she pulled her hand away from her mouth. "We haven't had time to talk about how we share this with the coven..." Cordelia said apprehensively.

"Oh 'Delia, the way you two are with each other, they'd be blind to miss it. However you may becalm assured, I will keep your relationship more confidential than an unannounced Danse Lente fall-season collection." 

Cordelia smiled thankfully at her eccentric friend.

"But for now... We are connected with the earth once more. Let us wake our dear earth child and tonight enjoy the simple comforts of our beloved hearth."

Cordelia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, revelling in the possibilities of spending down time with Misty in the comfort of the manor. Opening them and nodding at Myrtle, she turned in her seat to face Misty's sleeping form. Closing her eyes again, she searched for Misty's mind, settling in the centre of the numb restlessness and whispered gently into the expanse. 

"Venite ad conscientiam."

Rousing Misty with encouraging vibrations accompanied by warm and welcome emotions, Misty's mind fluttered sluggishly before fully coming to life, immediate fear and distress surging through her as she recalled her last experiences before the deep slumber. 

Staying within Misty's mind, Cordelia opened her eyes to see Misty jerking from her sleep, panicked and wild eyed. 

"Hey, hey, hey. Misty. It's okay. You're okay. We're on the ground." She calmed, placing tranquility and love in the centre of her psyche. 

Cordelia felt Misty instantly relax as her eyes focused on Cordelia's face, her ears singing hearing her voice and her heart floated feeling her soothing emotions.  
As soon as her nervous system had begun to settle, a sharp pain shot across Misty's brain, causing both women to put hands to their foreheads and Cordelia withdrew from Misty's mind. 

"Aghh..." Misty had let out, slamming her eyelids against the throbbing in her head. Cordelia understood immediately that Misty's headache was caused by dehydration and reached for the second glass Myrtle had brought, bringing it in front of Misty, who was still laying fetal, and gently touched her shoulder with her other hand, noticing that Misty was shaking beneath it. 

"Here baby." She offered soothingly. "Drink some water." 

Misty opened her eyes and squinted up at Cordelia, instantly melting into the touch on her shoulder as she saw again the beautiful Supreme who loved her.

"Miss Cordelia..." Misty gushed weakly, loving hearing this woman call her 'her baby'', using her own pet name as emotion welled inside of her. Looking down at the tall glass, over to Myrtle, smiling, to the glass again, back up to Cordelia and nodding lightly, before she took it graciously with shaking, ring-clad hands, lifting her head awkwardly from the chair and taking a sip, then drinking it all down in one.

"Thank you." Misty said breathlessly to Cordelia as she finished, her gratitude for more than just the water, knowing too well that her Supreme had saved her from transmuting to her death. 

Cordelia took the glass from Misty, placing it on the table and brought her hands to grasp Misty's, squeezing them tightly, having no words for the multitude of emotions she had felt on the plane journey. 

"How are you feeling little dove?" Myrtle asked Misty, filling Cordelia's silence. 

Misty tore her eyes away from her beautiful lover and looked to the kind-hearted red-head, smiling meekly at her and squinting against the harsh afternoon light that was shining through the windows. 

"Well... My head is full of throbbin' fuzz n' my bones are rattlin' like a freight train n' my tongue tastes like 'gator shit n' my ribs feel like they were hit with a pick-up... But I ain't in pergatory so I think I'm winnin'." Misty answered with a depricating laugh, wincing as she took a deep breath, the intensity with which she'd thrown up earlier leaving her stomach, diaphragm and chest painful and tender. 

"Oh you poor dear. I have an excellent tea for relieving sore muscles and aching bones back at the manor." Myrtle offered soothingly. "But I agree, today we won many battles."

Misty thanked Myrtle with a weak smile before her head twitched with pain and she put a thumb to her temple, wincing. 

Cordelia hurt for her continued suffering and reached for her own neglected water, passing it to Misty who took it gratefully and drank it down. 

"Let's go home." Cordelia said finally as the younger witch put her glass down, holding her hand for Misty to take and watching as her whole body visibly relaxed in longing and approval.

"You have no idea how ready I am..." Misty chuckled earnestly and placed her hand in Cordelia's. 

Helping her love out into the aisle, Cordelia thanked Myrtle with a smile who had risen to aid her, bringing Misty's shawl from the seat next to her and draping it over her shoulders like a suit of armour, the action almost ceremonial. 

Cordelia worried for Misty as she watched her sway where she stood and slid an arm firmly around her waist to hold her steady as they made their way down the jet. 

As they passed the middle seats, Cordelia paused by her bag and looked to Myrtle to hold onto Misty while she opened it and retrieved a small pouch of dried peppermint leaves. 

"Here..." She said kindly, placing a few in Misty's hand. "To freshen your mouth and help your stomach pains."

"Thank you!" Misty gushed gratefully, mostly for the ability to rid herself of the foul taste in her mouth as she put them on her tongue and sucked. "Mmmmm... Yes." She whispered as the cool flavours washed away the after-taste of regurgitated fries and stomach bile. 

Cordelia smiled and wrapped her arm back around Misty's waist, feeling her body trembling weakly beneath her aid. She frowned at her love's continued infirmity and looked down the plane as they began to walk again, Zoe and Queenie standing in the aisle, watching Misty with concern, waiting patiently. 

Cordelia offered them a small smile of apology and gratitude for the time they were taking to disembark, relaxing a little when they both returned her smile, nodding as if to say 'think nothing of it' and turning to make their way out of the jet and down the steps.

Cordelia was relieved that they left ahead, knowing that Misty would hate feeling weak the way she was and having an audience to that would be the last thing she wanted. 

As they reached the hatch and looked out at the small airfield and the forest of trees beyond, Cordelia felt Misty sag a little in her arms. She looked up at her lover's face just as the younger woman steadied herself by holding onto the entry frame, the afternoon sun hitting her face and revealing just how gaunt, pale and exhausted she was. Still, the swamp witch moved forward on shaky legs and took the steps down one by one, gripping the handrail tightly with Cordelia at her side. 

As her feet touched the tarmac, Misty closed her eyes, feeling the sun on her face, taking a deep breath, she turned her head to Cordelia and smiled genuinely at being able to feel the earth again. 

"Home." She whispered, tears springing in her blue eyes. 

"Yes." Cordelia replied, smiling, her own eyes welling with emotion. 

Misty's smile faltered and her features dropped as her eyes glazed over, rolling closed and Cordelia felt her body drop in her arms. 

"Misty!" She let out as she caught the younger woman's weight too late to continue holding her up, Zoe rushing forward to help lower her gently to the bitumen. "Shit! Shit, shit, shit!" Cordelia cried, looking down at Misty's unconscious face, holding it and hanging her head. "I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to do all this so soon..." Cordelia stroked the curly hair framing the side of her lover's face softly before letting her hand fall away and looking out across the tiny runway furiously. 

"GODDAMN IT!!! She yelled angrily, tears in her eyes, so sick of losing time with Misty and watching her suffer. 

"'Delia, dear-" Myrtle started to console. 

"Don't!" Cordelia said harshly before softening. "Just... Don't." 

Guilt fluttered through her chest immediately for her rudeness with Myrtle, she knew her old friend was only hurting for watching the two of them, but Cordelia couldn't handle any more intrusion on her and Misty's time at the moment, her capacity for complication at it's thinnest. 

"I'm sorry." She said meakly to the ground before looking up at Myrtle apologetically. All she wanted now, was to give Misty priority after asking so much of her. 

"No apology needed my dear." Myrtle assured, understanding Cordelia's exhaustion.

A thought came to Cordelia that enabled her to put Misty first and she looked to the small hangar at the end of the runway. This was their private airfield, they had another jet and two more vehicles in there. 

"Please take a second car home." Cordelia said, looking at Myrtle. "We won't be far behind you. I just need to do something for Misty."

"Are you sure?" Myrtle said, not wanting to undermine Cordelia's authority but asking as a friend if splitting up was safe when the two blondes were so drained. 

"I am." Cordelia replied honestly. 

Turning to one of the brothers, she motioned to the car already waiting. "Can we?" 

He nodded in understanding, walking to the back door facing them and opened it, standing back. 

"Thank you." She said genuinely and used her telekinesis to lift Misty's unconscious form, feet first, into the back seat. Turning back to Zoe, Queenie and Myrtle, she nodded, before climbing in to sit next to her lover, lifting her curly-haired head to rest on her lap, as the brother gently closed the door after her. 

Knowing a bayou lay only ten minutes drive south of their airfield, Cordelia looked to the brother in the rear-view mirror as he opened his door and settling into the driver's seat. 

"Bayou des Allemends."

He simply nodded and started the engine, pulling away from the small group, as his twin walked across the runway towards the hangar to bring around the other car for those they were leaving behind. 

Cordelia looked down at Misty's neutral face, heart heavy with contrition for having pushed her through such a traumatic trial as the first thing since spending two years in perdition.

She felt tears fall from her eyes as she stroked her fingers through Misty's locks, rubbing lovingly at a dark feather that lay among them. "We're almost there." She whispered quietly to her latent love. 

She continued to cry and caress Misty's features until she felt the car turn onto an uneven surface and looking up, realised they'd made it to a hidden track running alongside the cypress tree filled bayou. She was so grateful to the unwavering loyalty the brothers gave her coven and the perfection of their service. Somehow he'd simply known exactly what Cordelia was asking for in terms of location.

After a while the trees became thicker between the dirt road and the swamp and as she lost sight of the water, Cordelia felt comfortable with the level of privacy. 

"This is fine." 

The car slowed to a stop and Cordelia opened her door to step out before hesitating, looking to the brother in the mirror, unsure how long she'd be. He seemed to understand her vacillation and simply said. 

"Take as much time as you need." 

Cordelia wanted to hug him for such a discerned provision. 

"Thank you." She said whole-heartedly and alit from the car. Bringing Misty with her telekinetically, she walked into the trees, towards the water. 

Manouvering around the great trees and their magnificent roots for a few minutes, Cordelia searched as she moved further into the swamp. The ground still hard but she was no longer able to see the road for the denseness of the thick trunks and as Cordelia looked about, her eyes fell on the perfect bald cypress tree. 

Standing on the last of the hard ground before it became marshy, the giant cypress had roots beginning so high above the soil that they created a human-sized, basket-like hollow at the base. 

Moving over to it, she marvelled at its roots lifting from the earth so high, walls of wood encompassing a well of dry dirt. 

Listening to only the sounds of nature for a moment and comfortable they had privacy, Cordelia used her powers to transmute their clothes into a pile a few feet away, the sudden breeze on her chest and stomach making her shiver. Cordelia lay Misty's naked body into the cavity gently, settling her in a fetal position facing the trunk of the tree. Stepping over the tiny wall where the roots came together at the furthest point from the tree, Cordelia climbed into the little nest herself and moved around Misty to tuck herself between the trunk and her love's curled up body.

Wrapping her arms around her, Cordelia pulled Misty inwards, bringing her curly-haired head to tuck into her chest and lifted her legs to entangle them with her own. Laying her own head in the dirt, burying her nose in the top of Misty's head, she let out a great sigh.

"This is for you Misty." 

She whispered, repeating Stevie's words from earlier in the day. She meant it. If there was anything she could give Misty, it was time to simply reconnect with the earth and heal in the most raw way she knew how.

Cordelia allowed herself to just lay there, feeling Misty's naked body pressed against her own, feeling the cool dirt against her skin, feeling her nervous system relax; free of time constraints, obligations and other people's needs. 

The dirt was dry but the air moist and smelling richly of cypress and algae, earth and water, decay and life. Closing her eyes, Cordelia dove deeply into vitalum valis and gasped as she saw the spirit within the bald cypress flowing in and out of the ground like a pillar of electricity. 

She looked out beyond their tree and saw faint energy signatures from the trees around them but she was unable to stretch her perception far enough beyond their earthy crib to see them clearly. Making another mental note to have Misty show her how to expand the clarity of her vitalum valis, she focused on the bright vitality of the tree they were nestled within as well as Misty's waning essence. 

It worried Cordelia that Misty's lifeforce remained dormant still, floating hazily within her body, unconnected with the earth and seemingly oblivious to its presence. Seeing the strong flow of the tree, coming and going from the earth below them, Cordelia let out a deep breath and pulled on the essence of the cypress.

She let out a sob as she felt the most nurturing presence fill her, its pneuma old and feminine, caring and comforting. It knew of Misty from its conversations with the other trees but also by recognising the taste of her wild witch energy that flowed throughout the Louisiana swamps. This tree had a personality, she wanted to help them and Cordelia could feel her talking to her, soothing her, holding her. 

The Supreme 's heart swelled to bursting at the loving, maternal energy that filled her, it's message simple but strong: 'All will be alright little one.' Tears rolled from Cordelia's closed eyes to soak deep into the dirt beneath her head.

She could not have picked a worthier tree. 

Receiving strong encouragement to open her heart and channel lifeforce into Misty, Cordelia, feeling only trust with the motherly cypress, listened to her coaxing, putting faith in her own bodily instincts and allowing the walls within her to drop away. She was rewarded with a new sensation, like tiny double doors deep in her chest swinging outwards followed immediately with an overwhelming explosion of energy coursing throughout her body. She cried out huskily as such an intense wave rushed through her and into Misty that Cordelia momentarily forgot how to breathe. The sudden staggering current of lifeforce so powerful that it felt like an entire body orgasm, like a constant shot of adrenaline, every cell on fire within her, every nerve alive and trembling with vitality, so activated that it almost felt painful and panic flared at the back of her mind briefly before she allowed her body to relax and she was able to breathe again.

Cordelia could feel every part of her body vibrating euphoria as she channeled life from the mother tree into Misty, watching her lover's frail and stagnant energy filter out into the ground as she was filled with such pure of-the-earth effervescence. 

As Misty filled with golden light, the speed with which the essence was flowing through Cordelia eased off and she was able to process and enjoy this smoother sensation, humming blissfully as warmth pitter-pattered along the fibres of her skin. 

The current of vitality eventually slowed to a trickle and then, with Cordelia no longer needed as a conduit, the pathway between the three of them dropped away. Watching through vitalum valis, as their energy exchange became no longer a linear flow but a shared pulsation with the earth, like a breath, in and out, slow and effortless, and Cordelia wondered lazily why using her powers didn't drain her like they usually would. 

This moment in time was so perfect for Cordelia, so beautiful. Her body continuing to purr with tranquillity, wrapped in Misty, both naked in the dirt, laying within the arms of this gorgeous goddess tree, feeling herself drifting off, content with the world 

She was unconcerned that Misty hadn't woken, knowing that her lifeforce was vibrant once more, assuming her physical body simply needed to heal and rest, believing that Misty subconsciously knew that too and knew now was appropriate and safe to do so. 

So she lay there, feeling herself being pulled to sleep, holding her sleeping lover in her arms, the smells of the earth aromatic and heady, the song of crickets and cicadas filling the air, harmonising with the rustle of wind through the cypresses and an occasional splash of water deeper in the swamp as natural life continued on. 

Cordelia let her mind finally drop away as she slipped into sleep, feeling complete peace for the first time in years. 

 

\--------------


End file.
